New IPM module against stem rot and insect pests of jute (Corchorus olitorius L.)

Abstract

A new IPM module consisting of cultural (deep ploughing to expose soil to sun, sowing in line with 5 - 6 lakh plants /ha, NPK: 60 (30+15+15):30:30, manual hand weeding once at 21 DAS, variety: JRO 204 (Suren)); chemical (soil application of Ca(OCl)2 @ 30 kg/ha at 7 DBS, seed treatment (ST) with (a) carbendazim @ 2g/kg + (b) imidachloprid @ 4g/kg, application of pesticides: spiromecifen @ 1 ml/litre, profenophos @ 2 ml/litre) and biological (ST with Trichoderma viride @ 10g/kg, soil application of Pseudomonas fluorescens @ 100g/ sq. m before sowing and spraying of neem oil @ 3 - 4 ml/litre) components was tested against stem rot caused by Macrophomina phaseolina and yellow mite, semilooper, hairy caterpillar, apion and indigo caterpillar of jute (Corchorus olitorius L.) crop during 2015-20 at ICAR-CRIJAF, Barrackpore and farmers’ field in four different villages in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. Stem rot was lowest (2.5%) in full IPM treatment with all components compared to 20% in actual farmers’ practice. Similarly, yellow mite was reduced to 0.8%, semilooper to 0.4%, indigo caterpillar to 1%, apion 0.7%, hairy caterpillar 0.6% using IPM compared to 4-8% in farmers’ practice. Higher fibre yield and benefit cost ratio of 31.5 q/ha and 1.78 were observed in full IPM module as compared to 14.7 q/ha and 1.4, respectively, in actual farmers’ practice. As jute plants grow older, susceptibility to stem rot increases.