The on farm trials were conducted to determine the efficacy of conventional and novel insecticides against brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), in rice during kharif 2017 and 2018. All the treatments were effective for BPH management than control. The results of the first year study revealed that the application of Imidacloprid 17.8 SL @ 100 ml ha -1 was found superior by registering lower population of BPH (4.70/ hill) followed by Flonicamid 50 WG @ 150 g ha -1 with 5.67 BPH/hill after 7 days after spray. However, during the second year trial conducted on different insecticides revealed that BPH population was recorded lowest i.e., 3.60 per hill with the application of Buprofezin 25 SC @ 1000 ml ha -1 after 10 days after spray. The effect of this insecticide application was also resulted in the highest grain yield (74.51 q/ha) and maximum benefit cost ratio (6.09).

Medicinal plants of Himalayan region is inadequately known for their role in pest management. The present study was conducted to assess the response of different extracts of Acorus calamus (L.) and Vitex negundo (L.) on antifeedant and ovipositional deterrent activity of Plutella xylostella. Acorus calamus (Rhizome) and Vitex negundo (leaves) were taken as an experimental material. Methanol (polar solvent) and hexane (non-polar solvent) were used for extraction. Antifeedant and ovipostional deterrent effect of two plants were workout against Plutella xylostella. The data were statistically analysed by t-tests for paired comparisons. Stronger ovipositional deterrent effects was observed in A. calamus (methanol extract) with higher oviposition deterrent indices (ODI) (38.7), followed by hexane extract of V. negundo. The leaves treated with plant extracts of A. calamus and V. negundo deterred the female of P. xylostella to some extent to lays eggs. After three days of treatment, methanol extract of A. calamus showed a residual deterrent effect to female of P. xylostella due to its low volatile nature. Application of methanol and hexane extracts of A. calamus and V. negundo on host plants render them less attractive and show ovipositional deterrent to females of P. xylostella.

Cotton is the most important cash crop of southern districts of Punjab. The productivity of the cotton crop is low due to vigorous attack by insect-pests. Among the insect-pests, cotton crop is heavily damaged by sucking pests. Among the sucking pest's thrips, Thrips tabaci create a setback to the early stages and reduces yield of cotton crop. Therefore, an on farm trial was conducted to evaluate the bioefficacy of novel insecticides viz., Spinetoram 11.7 SC, Diafenthiuron 50 WP and Thiamethoxam 25 WG against thrips on cotton crop. Results of the present study revealed that lowest population of thrips i.e., 3.03 per leaf was recorded with the treatment of Spinetoram 11.7 SC followed by Diafenthiuron 50 WP and Thiamethoxam 25 WG with record of 8.70 and 12.07 thrips per leaf, respectively after 10 days of spray. Similarly, the highest yield of cotton (21.25 q/ha) and benefit cost ratio (3.48) was observed the application of Spinetoram 11.7 SC.