EFFICACY OF BOTANICAL FORMULATIONS AGAINST COCONUT RHINOCEROS BEETLE ORYCTES RHINOCEROS

Abstract

Field efficacy of botanical cakes and insecticides when evaluated in coconut against the rhinoceros beetle Oryctes rhiniceros L., revealed that leaf damage reduced to 9.5% with botanical cake and paste. Palms treated with chlorantraniliprole 0.4% GR (10.5%) and neem cake admixed with sand (11.5%) were also effective compared to control (40.0%) at 30 months after treatment (MAT). The leaf damage was significantly low (14.2%) in chlorantraniliprole 0.4%GR treated palms, and the next best was botanical cake and paste (15.2%). The palms treated with the botanical cake and paste revealed the least spear leaf damage of 15.0%, compared to that of chlorantraniliprole 0.4% GR (18.5%) and naphthalene balls (20.0%). The overall mean spear leaf damage was significantly lower in chlorantraniliprole 0.4% GR treated palms (40.4%) followed by palms treated with naphthalene balls (42.9%) and botanical cake and paste (44.4%) compared to control (78.9%).