Evaluation of Insecticides and their Schedules against Infestation of Pod Bug, Clavigralla gibbosa (Spinola) and Flower Thrips, Megalurothrips usitatus (Bagnall) on Pigeonpea

The experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of insecticides against pod bug, Clavigralla gibbosa (Spinola) and flower thrips, Megalurothrips usitatus (Bagnall) infesting pigeonpea cultivar Bahar during 1994–95 and 1995–96. The insecticides applied in two different schedules were found significantly superior over the control in reducing the pest population. The insecticidal efficacy in case of pod bug was in order of endosulfan > monocrotophos > fenvalerate > cypermethrin > deltamethrin > carbaryl > malathion while the efficacy against flower thrips was in order of monocrotophos > endosulfan > deltamethrin > fenvalerate > cypermethrin > carbaryl > malathion. The insecticides applied two times first at flowering and podding stage and second at 25 days after the first application were significantly superior over the single application at flowering and podding stage. The temporal distribution of pod bug population exhibited significant difference and the maximum population was recorded on 17thFebruary and minimum on 28th March while flower thrips were observed maximum on 10th March and minimum on 28th March in both the years of experimentation. The grain yield was recorded higher in the plots treated with two applications than the single application. The maximum grain yield was obtained in case of monocrotophos treated plots (24.85 q/ha) and minimum in control plot (13.16 q/ha).