Evaluation of Entomopathogenic Fungi against Sucking Pests of Bhut Jalakia

Experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of six different strains of entomopathogenic fungi and one insecticide molecule against sucking pests of Bhut Jalakia during 2014-15 to 2016-17. Bhut Jalakia is one of the hottest chillis in the world, grown extensively in Assam, Nagaland and Manipur. Aphis gossypii Glover, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood and Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) are the major sucking pests of Bhut Jalakia inflicting damage right from planting to fruiting stages of the crop. Three rounds of biopesticides @ 1 × 10⁸ spores/gm and insecticide (imidacloprid 17.8 SL @ 20 gm a.i./ha) imposed at 3 weeks interval against the pests revealed that imidacloprid 17.8 SL could significantly reduce the mean population of A. gossypii (4.64); S. dorsalis (2.03) and B. tabaci (0.28), closely followed by Beauveria bassiana (NBAIR-Bb-5a) with 7.20, 3.07 and 0.64 per 10 leaves and both the treatments were on par in their efficacy after third spray. The rest of the entomopathogenic fungi were more or less effective in reducing the sucking pests and statistically at par with each other compared to untreated control plot. Highest yield of 52.64 q/ha recorded in imidacloprid treated plot followed by NBAIR strain of Bb-5a with 45.85 q/ha and had no any significant difference from each other. Minimum yield of 26.78 q/ha was obtained in untreated control plot.