EVALUATION OF SPIROTETRAMAT AND ITS READY MIX FORMULATION WITH IMIDACLOPRID AGAINST TOBACCO APHID, MYZUS NICOTIANAE IN TOBACCO

Abstract

Tobacco aphid, Myzus nicotianae (Blackman) is one of the important insect pests of tobacco in India. Studies were conducted on the efficacy of spirotetramat and its combination with imidacloprid in Flue Cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) cv. Siri at ICAR-Central Tobacco Research Institute farm, Rajahmundry, India. Results showed that lowest mean aphid population/plant was recorded in the treatment of spirotetramat+ imidacloprid 240 SC @ 0.036% followed by its lower dose (0.018 %) and imidacloprid 200 SL @ 0.005%. Spirotetramat 150 OD alone did not give satisfactory control of the aphid at any of the doses tested though it was found to be significantly better than the un treated control in terms of reduction in aphid population. The highest cured leaf, bright leaf yield and grade index were recorded in the spirotetramat + Imidacloprid 240 SC @ 0.036% followed by spirotetramat + Imidacloprid 240 SC 0.018 % and imidacloprid 200 SL @ 0.005%. Studies on persistent residual toxicity to the aphid on tobacco showed that the period of persistency was 24 days for spirotetramat + Imidacloprid 240 SC @ 0.036%, 0.018 % and imidacloprid 200 SL @ 0.005% with a persistent toxicity index of 1975, 1949 and 1916, respectively.