Field efficacy of selected insecticide molecules against finger millet [Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.,] earhead caterpillars

To study the bio-efficacy of selected insecticides against earhead caterpillars in finger millet (variety KMR-204) under field conditions an experiment was conducted at Zonal Agricultural Research Station Vishweshwaraiah Canal, Farm, Mandya, during kharif 2018 and 2019, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore. The results revealed that, two sprays at dough stage of the crop, all the insecticides viz., thiodicarb 76 WP (1.0 g L), acephate 75 SP (1.5 g L), profenphos 50 EC (2.0 mL L), quinalphos 25 EC (2.0 mL L), lambda cyhalothrin 5 EC (0.6 mL L), novuluron 10 EC (1.5 mL L), fenvelarate 0.4D (25 kg ha), chlorpyriphos 1.5D (25 kg ha) and chlorpyriphos 20 EC (2.0 mL L) were found to be effective in reducing different species of earhead caterpillars viz., Archips micaceana, Somena scintillans, Cryptoblabes angustipennella, Nola analis, Cydia sp., Helicoverpa armigera, Pyrausta phoenicealis, Corcyra cephalonica, Stathmopoda sp. and Spodoptera frugiperda, Eublemma sp., Conogethes punctiferalis, Euproctis similis, Mythimna separate and Ataboruza sp., over untreated control. However, thiodicarb 75 WP @ 1.0 g L and lambda cyhalothrin 5 EC at 0.6 mL L were found to be more effective in reducing the mean larval population and registered higher percentage of recovery with least larval population compared to rest of the insecticides.