Investigation on the effectiveness of botanicals and new generation insecticides in the management of the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), in the cotton ecosystem

The pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), is a worldwide important emerging insect pest that is causing major yield loss among the bollworms in the cotton ecosystem. A field study evaluated the bio-efficacy of newer insecticides and botanicals against pink bollworm during Kharif and Rabi, 2021–22, under Randomised Block Design (RBD). The observations on percent boll damage, percent locule damage, percent reduction over control, and yield were recorded and analyzed. The results showed that applying emamectin benzoate 5SG was superior to other treatments, followed by chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC, spinosad 45 SC and flunbendiamide 39.5 SC. The emamectin benzoate 5 SG treated plot had the greatest reduction in boll damage (89.25%) and the highest yield (1955 kg/ha). Among the botanicals, 5 % NSKE was found to be effective with a damage reduction over control of 58.06 % followed by 5 % neem formulation 1500 ppm (50.54 %) against pink bollworm in cotton.