BIO-EFFICACY OF PB-ROPE (L) AS MATING DISRUPTANT AGAINST PINK BOLLWORM, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) IN COTTON

Abstract

Mating disruption through sex pheromone is a very important technique in integrated pest management (IPM) of pink bollworm in cotton. Present study was carried out during 2020 and 2021 at farm area of cotton Research Station, Faisalabad, Pakistan to check the effectiveness of PB-Rope L (sex pheromone) against pink bollworm. PB-Rope L were tied to the cotton sticks @ 240/hectare at pin square stage. The block where PB-Rope were installed showed significantly lower pink bollworm moth catches as compared with control block. Mean percent reduction in moth catches was observed 68.24 and 72.52% over control during consecutive years. Minimum mean percent green boll damage was observed in block-A i.e., 4.16 and 3.98% as compared with control block-B (12.47 and 13.42%), with percent reduction 66.64 and 70.34% during both years of study. The block treated with PB-Ropes showed significantly less population (5.42 and 6.70 larvae per 50 green bolls) as compared with control block without PB-Ropes (11.69 and 13.47 larvae per 50 green bolls). The percent reduction in larval population was recorded 53.64 and 50.26% as compared to control treatment during consecutive years. Significantly low mean percent damage was recorded in left over bolls and higher yield was also recorded in PB-ropes plot as compared to control plot.