Field evaluation of synthetic elicitors as attractants to predators of rice brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stal.) (Delphacidae: Homoptera)

Abstract

In the present study at Madurai during 2015 – 16, efficacy of synthetic elicitors was evaluated as attractant to predators of brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stal.) under field conditions. Significantly greater numbers of predators were attracted to Linalool and 2,4-D treated plants resulting in reduction in population load of BPH than buffer and control. Among all the evaluated treatments, Linalool @ 10 mM harboured maximum number of 19.21 mirids/5 hills and 13.32 coccinellids/5 hills over the study period as compared to 13.66 mirids/5 hills, and 8.34 coccinellids/5 hills in control. Thus, Linalool@ 10 mM recorded 1.88 and 1.95 fold increase in population of mirids and coccinellids and 1.70 fold decrease in BPH population as compared to control. By testing the field efficacy of synthetic elicitors as attractants to predators of N. lugens, they can be used as potential semiochemicals for the sustainable management of brown planthopper on rice. Hence the present study evaluates the potentiality of four different synthetic elicitors at three various concentrations as attractants to predators of N. lugens