Sustainable management of Spodoptera litura (Fab.) in tropical Sugar Beet

Control of Spodoptera litura in the tropical sugar beet is a critical issue for sustainable agriculture. The purpose of this field experiment was to assess the efficacy of botanical and non-chemical techniques against S. litura to identify ecologically viable management alternatives. Spodoptera litura responded best to a neem oil solution at a concentration of 3.0 mL/L. In terms of insect infestation, the plot treated with neem oil outperformed the untreated control plot. The infection rates for plants, leaves, and beets were 5.66/plot, 5.33/plant, and 11.00/plot, respectively. In terms of larvae decrease over control, the plot treated with neem oil had the greatest effectiveness (84.33%), followed by pheromones, which had an efficiency of 80%. Plants treated with neem oil showed the highest Brix and Pol values (17.61% and 12.62%, respectively). Weight per beet was lowest in the control plot (690.33 g), and highest in the best treatment (791.33 g). It clearly shows that when insect infestation grows, beet yield falls. The control plot was unable to effectively resist S. litura, resulting in unhealthy sugar beet output. In contrast, eco-friendly techniques such as NPV spraying, Bio Neem Plus®, Tracer 45SC (spinosad), hand picking, light trap, and polythene mulching trap outperformed the control plot.