Relative efficacy of various insecticides and bio-pesticides against white grub damaging potato under rainfed conditions

Studies were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of some insecticides and biopesticides against white grub infesting potato in three different patterns viz., soil treatment (granular/dust application in furrows at sowing time), seed treatment (by seed coating method with rice starch as sticker) and as post-sown foliar sprays. The tuber sprouting was seriously impaired by seed treatment with Deltamethrin 2.8EC, Chlorpyriphos 20EC and Lambdacyhalothrin 5EC. Maximum tuber damage by white grub (20%) was seen in control followed by Quinalphos 25EC and Chlorpyriphos 20EC foliar sprays which recorded a tuber damage of 13.33 and 11.66%, respectively. Highest marketable tuber yield (13.62 kg plot−1) was recorded in Imidacloprid seed treatment followed by soil treatments with Chlorpyriphos 1.5% dust and Carbofuran 3G, which recorded marketable yield of 11.5 and 10.6 kg plot−1, respectively. Seed treatments with Imidacloprid 200SL and soil treatment with Chlorpyriphos 1.5% dust and Carbofuran 3G proved best treatments for of white grub management in potato under rainfed conditions of Kashmir valley.