Achievement

i. Research Recommendations released by AICRP on Biocontrol

i. Recommendation . Contributed eight recommendations on biological suppression of

pests of potato, tomato, cole crops, sugarcane and custard apple .

• Potato

1. Release of Copidosoma koehleri @ 50,000 adults/ha/release four times at weekly interval (2 lakh adults/ha) commencing from 45 days after planting is recommended for the control of potato tuber moth, Phthorimaea operculella in potato crop.

2. Spraying of SlNPV @ 500-750 LE/ha (3.0-4.5×10¹² POBs/ha) is recommended for the control of Spodoptera litura in potato field.

3. Release of Copidosoma koehleri @ 1,250 mummies/ha at weekly interval four times (total 5,000 mummies/ha) placed in perforated plastic vials (2.0×1.5 cm) hung at 5 m distance in crop commencing from 45 days after planting is recommended for the control of potato tuber moth, Phthorimaea operculella Zeller in potato field.

• Tomato

4. Three sprays of HaNPV @ 250 LE/ha at 10 days interval starting from 50 per cent flowering of the crop is recommended for the control of fruit borer, Helicoverpa armigera in tomato.

5. Release of Trichogramma pretiosum @ 50,000 adults/ha/release five times at weekly interval (total 2.5 lakh adults/ha) starting from 50% flowering of the crop with three intermittent sprays of HaNPV @ 250 LE/ ha (1.5×10¹² POBs/ha) at 10 days interval starting from five days after release of the parasitoids is recommended for the control of fruit borer, Helicoverpa armigera in tomato.

• Cabbage

6. Spraying of Bacillus thuringiensis formulation Dipel 8L @ 1 lit./ha or Halt WP @ 1 kg/ha five times at ten days interval commencing from one month after transplanting is recommended for the control of diamond back moth, Plutella xylostella in cabbage.

3.

• Sugarcane

7. Mass production of Dipha aphidivora, a predator on sugarcane woolly aphid be under shade net house 5x5x4 m size using 50% green shade net within two months for field release.

• Custard apple :

8. Two releases of predator, Scymnus coccivora ( 10 grubs/tree) or Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant ( 5 grubs/tree ) in the month of July and August are recommended for an ecofriendly management of mealy bugs on custard apple.

• Onion :

9. Three sprays of Metarhizium anisopliae 1.15% WP ( 1 x 10⁸ conidia/g ) @ 50 g + sunflower oil 10 ml + liquid soap 1 ml /10 litre water at 15 days interval after the pest incidence are recommended for the control of thrips on onion in Rabi season.

• Mango :

10. Spraying of Metarhizium anisopliae 1.15% WP ( 1 x 10⁸ conidia/g ) @ 50 g + sunflower oil 10 ml and liquid soap 1 ml /10 litres of water before flowering (December) followed by need based two to four sprays at weekly interval during flowering is recommended for the control of mango hopper.

• Pigeon pea :

11. Three sprays of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) @ 20 ml/10 lit of water at 15 days interval starting from initiation of flowering are recommended for the control of legume pod borer, Maruca testulalis and pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera on pigeon pea.

• Safflower :

12. Three sprays of Metarhizium anisopliae 1.15% WP ( 1 x 10⁸ conidia/g ) @ 50 g + sunflower oil 10 ml + liquid soap 1 ml /10 litres of water at fortnightly interval starting from the appearance of the pest incidence are recommended for the control of aphids on safflower.

• Soybean :

13. Three sprays of SlNPV 250 LE/ha (10⁹ POBs/ ml) @ 10 ml or Nomuraea rileyi (10⁸ conidia/g) @ 50 g/10 litre water at 15 days interval starting from the appearance of pest are recommended for the control of Spodoptera litura on soybean.

• Okra :

14. Three sprays of Bacillus thuringiensis var. galleriae @ 20 ml per 10 lit. of water at 15 days interval starting from 45 days after sowing is recommended for the control of shoot and fruit borer on okra.

ii. Significant contribution

• Biological suppression of potato tuber moth by release of Copidosoma koehleri.

• Management of Helicoverpa armigera by integrated use of Trichogramma pretiosum and HaNPV in tomato.

• Integrated management of diamond back moth by use of Trichogrammatoidea bactrae Nagaraja and Bacillus thuringiensis in cole crops.

• Biological control of early shoot borer by release of Trichogramma chilonis in sugarcane.

• Control of sugarcane pyrilla by field release and conservation of Epiricania melanoleuca.

• Developed field release and mass production technique of predator, Dipha aphidivora against sugarcane woolly aphids.

• Surveyed and identified alternate hosts of sugarcane woolly aphids.

• Biological suppression of paddy stem borer and leaf folder with Trichogramma japonicum and T. Chilonis.

• Biological control of mealy bugs in grapes, guava and custard apple with field release of Australian lady bird beetles, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri.

• Biological control of spiralling white fly with inoculative release of Encarsia guadeloupae in guava and pomegranate.

• Biological suppression of sucking pests (thrips, mites) of Capsicum, rose and carnation in polyhouse.

• Developed and demonstrated Bio-intensive Pest Management (BIPM) strategies for Bt-cotton.

• Developed and demonstrated BIPM module for potato pests.

• Developed and demonstrated BIPM module for tomato pests.

• Biological control of Parthenium weed by inoculative release of Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister.

• Biological control of water hyacinth with the release of predatory weevils, Neochetina eichhorni, N. bruchi and mite Orthogalumna terebrantis

• Recorded first time of indigenous species of parasitoid, Acerophagus papayae N & S on invasive papaya mealy bug, Paracoccus marginatus W & G in Pune region of Maharashtra.

• Biological suppression of papaya mealy bug, with the release of A. papayae.