STUDY ON THE EFFICACY OF BOTANICALS AND SOME SELECTED PESTICIDES ON PEST COMPLEX OF CHILI (Capsicum frutescens)

Abstract

The study was carried out in the experimental farm of Sher-e- Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh during the period from January to September 2008 to determine the efficacy of botanicals and some selected synthetic pesticides on pest complex of chili (Capsicum frutescens). The experiment comprises of eight treatments and among them first five (T1, T2, T3, T4 & T5) were the application of botanicals and two others (T6 & T7) were synthetic pesticides. The treatments were, T1: Neem leaf extract @ 20g/l at 3 days interval, T2: Neem seed extract @ 20g/l at 3 days interval, T3: Neem oil @ 15ml/l at 3 days interval, T4: Biskatali leaf extract @ 20g/l at 3 days interval, T5: Garlic clove extract @ 15ml/l at 3 days interval, T6: Arozim @ 3g/l at 7 days interval, T7: Thiolux @ 3g/l at 7 days interval, T8: Untreated control. In total cropping season, the highest incidence (percentage) of red mites, aphids and white flies on leaves were 62.33%, 26.09% and 3.32%, respectively and the highest incidence (percentage) of fruit borer on fruits was 9.21% with the treatment T8. On the other hand, the lowest incidence (percentage) of red mites, aphids and white flies on leaves were 24.30%, 4.06% and 0.46%, respectively and the lowest incidence (percentage) of fruit borer on fruits was 3.88% in T3. In the whole season, the highest infestation (percentage) on leaves was 3.78% with the treatment T8 and the lowest infestation (percentage) on leaves was 0.88% with the treatment T3. In case of fruits, the highest infestation (percentage) was 27.20% with the treatment T8 and the lowest infestation (percentage) was 7.76% with the treatment T3. Fruit infestation reduction over control in weight was the highest (59.06%) with treatment T3, while the lowest (30.59%) reduction was in T1. The highest weight of fruit yield was 30.22 ton/ha with treatment T3 and the lowest yield was 16.87 ton/ha with treatment T8. As a whole, among the different treatments botanicals were more effective than the chemical pesticides.