Evaluation of indigenous technologies againstfall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith)

Abstract

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith)(Noctuidae: Lepidoptera) has become a serious pest on maize in Indiaand elsewhere. The rapid spread of this pest in Indian states andAsian countries might be due to its efficient ability to travel andmigrate long distances in short time. Further, the pest has a widerange of hosts including several most important crops grown in India.In India, the pest is reported on maize from Karnataka during May-June, 2018. The studies on evaluation of indigenous technologiesagainst fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda under laboratoryconditions revealed that among the indigenous technologies neem oiltreatment exhibited highest mortality of 96.67 and 86.67 per cent ofthird and fourth instar larvae, respectively resulting in no pupalformation. The next best treatments to follow included pongamia oil(93.33 and 86.67% mortality of 3rd and 4th instar larvae, respectively)and GCKE + nimbecidine (86.67 and 76.67%) which lead to formationof deformed pupae as well the malformed adults. However, cow dungslurry and cow urine+ cow dung slurry treatments registered lowerlarval mortality of 10.0 and 13.33 per cent, respectively among thethird instar larvae. While, chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC being a chemicalcheck treatment, excelled over all other treatments by causing centper cent larval mortality at 96 hours of treatment imposition