Management of Pod Bugs in Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) Applying Eco-friendly Insecticides
C. Raghu Prasad *
Department of Entomology, S.V. Agricultural College, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India.
A. Rajesh
Krishi Vigyan Kendra Undi, West Godavari, Andhra Pradesh, India.
S.R. Koteswara Rao
Department of Entomology, Agricultural College Bapatla, Andhra Pradesh, India.
B. Ramana Murthy
Department of Statistics and Computer Applications, S.V. Agricultural College, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Field investigation on the management of pod bugs in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) using eco-friendly insecticides was carried out during the kharif season in 2018 at dry land farm, S.V. Agricultural College, Tirupati. The results revealed that neem seed kernel extract, NSKE @ 5 percent was found to be the most effective in reducing pod bugs population with highest mean percent reduction over the control (65.0%), lowest percent pod damage (39.57%), seed damage (27.33%), highest hundred-grain weight (12.0gm) and the highest grain yield (933 kgha-1) followed by spinosad @ 0.2 ml/l and neem oil @ 0.5 percent. Therefore, it might be suggested that NSKE @ 5 percent can be applied for the better management of pod bugs in cowpea.
Keywords: Pod bugs, population, eco-friendly, management, cowpea