Impact of nutrient management in Butea monosperma (lam.) taub. on the survivability of Kerria lacca (kerr)

A field trial was conducted on lac grower's field in village Dungariya, Barghat Block, Seoni District, Madhya Pradesh during the year 2014–15 in RBD with four replications. The trial was consisted six treatments viz., Zinc (T₁), Boron (T₂), Humic acid (T₃), Zinc + Humic acid (T₄), Boron + Humic acid (T₅) along with Control i.e. Water spray (T₆) had three foliar applications at 30, 45 and 60 days after Broodlac inoculation (BLI). The mean lac larval settlement and survival per 2.5 sq cm were recorded from 30 days after BLI to the harvest of the lac crop. The mean number of lac insects settled per 2.5 sq cm differed among the six treatments at 30 days after BLI. The density was highest in T₁ (58.24) followed by T6 (55.06), T₅ (51.47), T₄ (47.94), T₃ (42.91) and T₂ (37.95). The per cent survival of lac insect at 45 days after BLI in the different treatments was highest T₁ (73.58) followed by T₄ (68.79), T₅ (67.35), T₂ (67.10), T₃ (65.91) and T₆ (64.27). There was significant difference in the per cent survival lac insect of in the different treatments. The per cent survival of lac insect in the different treatments at 60 days after BLI was highest in T₄ (58.85) followed by T₃ (57.49), T₁ (56.80), T₅ (56.33), T₂ (56.26) and T₆ (54.78). At 105 days after BLI, the per cent of lac insect was in highest T₃ (41.77) followed by T₂ (40.79), T₄ (39.13), T₅ (38.97), T₁ (37.00) and T₆ (33.53). The per cent survival of lac insect at 60 and 105 days after BLI was higher in all the treatments over the control at harvest.