Field evaluation of insecticides for the management of cucumber moth, Diaphania indica (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) on bitter gourd

An experiment was conducted on the efficacy of selective insecticides against cucumber moth, Diaphania indica Saunders on bitter gourd under randomized block design at student farm, College of Agriculture, Raichur, Karnataka during rabi, 2016-2017. The objective of this study was to investigate the most effective insecticide against the Diaphania indica population. Different groups of chemicals were selected and the treatments were imposed as foliar sprays by using a hand compression knapsack sprayer of about 500 lit/ ha spray fluids against the cucumber moth. Among the different newer molecules, chlorantraniliprole 18.5% SC at 0.2ml/l, flubendiamide 48% SC at 0.15 ml/l and spinosad 45 SC at 0.12ml/l recorded high per cent reduction of D. indica population of 86.85, 79.36 and 75.22 per cent, respectively when compared to emamectin benzoate 5% SG at 0.2g/l (64.17%), dichlorvos 76% EC at 0.5ml/l (61.08%), Azadirachtin 1500 ppm at 3ml/l (53.09%) and Bacillus thuringiensis 2ml/l (49.48%) after third spray. Thus chlorantraniliprole 18.5% SC (0.2ml/l) was adjudged as the best and effective treatment in checking D. indica population.