Management of Brinjal Shoot and Fruit Borer (Leucinodes orbonalis) Using Bio-RationalPesticides

Brinjal is one of the most important vegetables but frequently attacked by brinjal shoot and fruit borer (BSFB), a major constraint of brinjal production. A field trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of four bio-rational insecticides viz., T₁ = Cyproflanilide, T₂ = Azadirachtin, T₃ = Spinosad and T₄ = Buprofezin against BSFB on brinjal in RCBD (Randomized Complete Block Design) with three replications.  The study was carried out from October 2023 to April 2024 at the field laboratory of the Department of Entomology at Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University in Dinajpur, Bangladesh. The Spinosad-treated plots had the highest number of healthy shoots (71.00) but the untreated control had the lowest (43.00).  The untreated control had the highest infested shoots (21.67), while the Spinosad-treated plots had the fewest (7.67). Spinosad (T₃) treated plots showed the highest reduction (70.94%) of infested shoot over untreated control. Similarly, the highest (52.33) number of healthy fruits were observed from the Spinosad treated plants while the lowest (19.33) from the untreated control that offered maximum reduction (71.64%) of damaged fruits above the untreated control. Spinosad yielded the highest weight of healthy fruits (4.90 kg/plot), but the untreated control had the lowest (2.00 kg/plot). Similarly, Spinosad treated plants had the lowest (0.66 kg/plot) weight of infested fruits, but untreated control exhibited the highest (2.60kg/plot) infested fruits. So, Spinosad could be utilized to defend brinjal against BSFB maintaining food security and biosafety.

Keywords: Brinjal; Bio-rational pesticides; Potency; Brinjal shoot and fruit borer.