Field efficacy of insecticides against chaffer beetle, Popillia lucida Newman infesting rice

Field experiments were conducted at Amatrahar, Ansui and Ladoh in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh to evaluate efficacy of insecticides viz., bifenthrin (Talstar 10 EC), imidacloprid (Confidor 17.8 SL), thiamethoxam (Suckgan 25 WG), indoxacarb (Aalwant 14.5 SC), cypermethrin (Cypermil 10 EC) and biopesticide azadirachtin (Neem Baan 1500 ppm) against chaffer beetle Popillia lucida Newman. Order of efficacy of insecticides was cypermethrin > imidacloprid > thiamethoxam > bifenthrin > indoxacarb > azadirachtin. Cypermethrin @ 62.5 g.a.i ha⁻¹ was found to be the most effective insecticide against chaffer beetle. The treatments imidacloprid @ 25 g.a.i ha⁻¹ and thiamethoxam @ 25 g. a.i ha⁻¹ were at par with cypermethrin for the control of chaffer beetle. The treatments also resulted in significant reduction in infested panicles and damaged florets leading to higher yields in different treatments. In all the three experiments on evaluation of efficacy of insecticides similar trends in grain yield and additional return were observed with cypermethrin treated plots resulting in highest grain yield and benefit of additional return followed by imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, bifenthrin, indoxacarb and azadirachtin.