Integrated Management of Cotton Pests with Emphasis on Bollworms
Field trials conducted during kharif seasons of 1991, 1992 and 1993 indicated that pest control of the sucking pests and bollworms could be achieved with insecticidal schedule (spraying methyldemeton and monocrotophos three times each) which recorded 4.60% boll infestation and 19.73 q/ha seed control yield. When the predator, Chiysoperla cornea Steph. was employed in the schedule it reduced the sucking pest populations considerably. The release of predator (C. cornea) followed by spraying of monocrotophos three times recorded boll infestation (5.84%) and yield (17.80 q/ha) which was at par with insecticidal schedule. The combination of predator, egg parasitiod Trichogramma achaeae Nagaraja and Nagarkatti, and pathogen (NPV of Heliothis) also recorded significantly reduced bollworm infestation (8.31%) and increased yield (16.00 q/.ha). All schedules recorded signficantly reduced bollworm population and increased yield over control (no spraying).