Comparative Efficacy of New and Old Insecticides for the Control of Mango Mealybug (Drosicha mangiferae) in Mango Orchards

Mango mealybug (Drosicha mangiferae Green) is destructive pest of mango plants. In an attempt to control this pest, eleven formulations of insecticides viz., profenofos (Curacron 500 EC, 30 mL), bifenthrin (Talstar 10 EC, 100 mL), triazophos (Hostathion 20 EC, 100 mL), chlorpyrifos (Lorsban 40 EC, 50 mL), lambdacyhalothrin (Karate 2.5 EC, 50 mL), imidacloprid (Confidor 200 SL, 100 g), buprofezin (Starter 20 SP, 500 g), deltamethrin (Decis 2.5 EC, 50 mL), cypermethrin (Ripcord 10 EC, 100 mL), acetamiprid (Mospilan 20 SP, 100 g) and methidathion (Supracide 40 EC, 150 mL) were tested for the control of mango mealybug under field conditions on mango trees against 1st instar nymphs of mango mealybug in the month of February, 2006 and the same dose of insecticides were sprayed against 2nd and 3rd instar in the month of March, 2006 and against adult female in the month of April, 2006. The maximum mortality of 1st instar mango mealybug was observed in those treatments, where Mospilan were applied with 80, 85 and 91% after 24, 72 and 168 h of spray. However, in case of 2nd and 3rd instar, Decis and Curacron gave maximum mortality 71 and 70, 24 h after spray. After 72 and 168 h Mospilan proved best with 78 and 81% mortality. Supracide the most effective insecticides for the control of adult female at all the post treatment intervals i.e., 60, 72 and 73% mortality under field conditions. © 2010 Friends Science Publishers