Efficacy of Biopesticides against Myzus persicae and Pieris canidia Infesting Broccoli

Abstract

A field experiment was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of biopesticides against major insect pests of broccoli, Myzus persicae and Pieris canidia. Significant differences were observed among the treatments against both insect pests. Against Myzus persicae, Imidacloprid 17.8 SL @ 0.3 ml/ l recorded the highest overall mean population reduction (70.64%), followed by azadirachtin 0.03% @ 5 ml/ l (61.63%) and neem oil @ 0.5 ml/ l (59.31%). In the case of Pieris canidia, Beauveria bassiana 1.15 WP @ 0.3 ml/ l was found to be the most effective with an overall mean reduction of 55.90%, followed by azadirachtin 0.03% (50.98%) and neem oil (49.59%). The efficacy of all treatments increased progressively from 3 to 9 days after spraying and remained significantly superior to the untreated control.