Wider Area Validation and Economic Analysis of Adaptable IPM Technology in Egg Plant Solanum melongena L. in Farmers’ Participatory Approach

Wider area validation and economic analysis of adaptable IPM technology in egg plant Solanum melongena L. in a farmers’ participatory approach was carried out in adopted villages Raispur and Harsawan, Ghaziabad District, UP during 2003–04, 2004–05 and 2005–06 in an area of 30 acres covering 30 farming families. The IPM technology for brinjal crop comprising raising healthy nursery using soil solarisation and mixing of Trichoderma along wiih FYM; application of neem cake @ 250 kg ha⁻¹ at 30 DAT, erection of bird perches @ 10 ha⁻¹, installation of delta traps @ @ ha⁻¹ periodical collection and destruction of borer affected shoots and fruits and diseased plants, two sprays of NSKE @ 5%, five releases of egg parasite Trichogramma brasiliensis and 1–2 sprays of chemical pesticides was very effective in reducing the incidence of pests and minimizing the yield losses. The adoption of IPM technology resulted in reducing the number of sprays to 1–2 from 4–6 in non-IPM fields and with fruit yields of 450.1, 454.5 and 484.0 q ha⁻¹ in IPM and 274.1, 354.6 and 404.5 q ha⁻¹ in non-IPM fields, respectively and with higher CBR of 2.27–2.89 in IPM compared to 1.04–2.12 in non-IPM. There was a income increase ranging ffom Rs 16898–34657 ha⁻¹ in IPM over non-IPM. A large build up of natural enemies viz Coccinellids, Chrysoperla and predatory spiders was also observed in IPM fields.