Bio-efficacy of different seed treatment chemicals against shoot fly, Atherigona approximata Malloch infesting foxtail millet

Abstract

The present investigation was conducted at College of Agriculture, V. C. Farm, Mandya, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore during Kharif 2019. Attack of shoot fly in foxtail millet causes significant loss of yield at the early stage of crop growth. Delay in the use of insecticide leads to high loss of yield. The most economical and easiest method for the management of shoot fly is seed treatment. In the present study eight different seed treatment chemicals and one standard check with soil application of carbofuran 3G at 33 Kg ha -1 were evaluated against infestation of shoot fly in foxtail millet. The observations were recorded on per cent dead heart from 14 to 35 days after sowing (DAS) at weekly interval. The data on per cent dead heart revealed that, among the different treatments clothianidin 50WG @ 1 g Kg -1 recorded significantly least per cent dead heart (14.84%) compared to rest of the treatments at 35 DAS. The grain and fodder yield were also significantly higher in case of seed treatment with clothianidin 50WG @ 1 g Kg -1 (15.07 and 24.31 q ha -1 ) followed by thiamethoxam 25WG @ 2 g Kg -1 (14.32 and 22.19 q ha -1 ). Cost economics of different seed treatment chemicals revealed that clothianidin 50WG @ 1 g Kg -1 recorded highest net returns with maximum cost benefit ratio (1:2.57).