EVALUATION OF AN INSECT GROWTH REGULATOR, CHLORFLUAZURON AGAINST SPODOPTERA LITURA IN VIRGINIA TOBACCO

Abstract

Tobacco caterpillar, Spodoptera litura (Fab.) is the key pest of tobacco in India. Studies were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of an insect growth regulator (IGR) chlorfluazuron (Atabron 5.4 EC) @ 0.0075%, 0.015% & 0.03% against the pest in a replicated experiment along with novaluron 10 EC @ 0.01%, lufenuron 5 EC @ 0.006% and emamectin benzoate 5 SG @ 0.0025% for two seasons in flue cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) cv. Siri at ICAR-Central Tobacco Research Institute farm, Rajahmundry, India. Results showed that emamectin benzoate 5 SG @ 0.0025%, was most effective in protecting tobacco from S.litura damage as shown by no damage at all in terms of number of leaves damaged, leaf area damaged and the damaged plants/plot. The next best treatment was chlorfluazuron (Atabron 5.4 EC) @ 0.03% as shown by number of leaves damaged (1.09 - 1.12%), leaf area damaged (2.71-4.18 %) and per cent plants damaged/plot (3.50 - 7.01%). Emamectin benzoate 5 SG @ 0.0025% treated plots recorded highest cured leaf (2485 kg/ha) as well as bright leaf yield (1163 kg/ha) and better grade index (1603) followed by chlorfluazuron @ 0.03% treated plots (2440, 1130 and 1555 kg /ha), respectively. Chlorfluazuron 5.4% EC @ 0.03% may be used to manage S.litura damage in rotation with emamectin benzoate.