Abstract

The field experiments were carried out during kharif and rabi seasons of 2012–13 at the Main Agricultural Research Station, UAS, Dharwad, India with eight treatments replicated thrice in a randomised block design. The treatments consisted of (1) Bifenthrin 8 SC @ 60 g a. i./ha, (2) Bifenthrin 8 SC @ 80 g a. i./ha (3) Bifenthrin 8 SC @ 100 g a. i./ha, (4) Bifenthrin 8 SC @ 120 g a. i./ha, (5) Bifenthrin 8 SC @ 140 g a. i./ha, (6) Cypermethrin 10 EC @ 70 g a. i./ha, (7) Dicofol 18.5 EC @ 500 g a. i./ha and (8) Untreated check. The spacing followed was 60 x 30 cm with Arka Anamika variety in a plot size of 6.0 x 5.1 m during both the seasons. Two sprays of Bifenthrin 8 SC @ 140, 120 and 100 g a. i./ha afforded cent per cent protection against mites during both the kharif and rabi seasons, while 92.40, 88.59 and 86.69% protection, respectively against shoot and fruit borer during kharif, and 89.86, 86.96 and 84.93% protection during rabi season. All the insecticides recorded significantly higher marketable fruit yield than untreated check. Two sprays of Bifenthrin 8 SC @ 140, 120 and 100 g a. i./ha produced significantly higher marketable fruit yield of 86.40, 85.10 and 83.50 t/ha during kharif, and 84.45, 83.57 and 81.84 t/ha durin rabi season, which were on par with each other and were significantly superior over rest of the treatments. None of the insecticidal treatments showed any type of phytotoxic symptoms on okra plants at one, three, seven and ten days after spray of Bifenthrin 8 SC @ 100 and 200 g a. i./ha during both kharif and rabi seasons. Hence, Bifenthrin 8 SC @ 100 g a. i./ha could be recommended for the better management of mites, and shoot and fruit borer to get higher marketable fruit yield.