Integrated Pest Management techniques in a Kinnow mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco) orchard with an emphasis on yield improvement

Kinnow mandarin (<i>Citrus reticulata</i> Blanco) is a valuable fruit crop mainly grown in the North Indian states of India due to its high-quality juice content. Psylla (<i>Diaphorina citri</i> Kuwayama), whitefly (<i>Dialoeurodes citri</i> Ashmead), sooty mould (<i>Capnodium citri</i>) and dieback (<i>Colletotrichum gloeosporioides</i>) pests are the most important biotic constraints affecting its fruit yield up to 70 percent. To manage these pests, farmers often use mixture of non-label claim pesticides (quinalphos 25%EC, lambda-cyhalothrin 2.5%EC, diafenthiuron 50%WP, chlorantraniliprole 18.5 %, cymoxanil 8 % + mancozeb 64 % WP, etc.) without achieving the desired effect. Hence, area-wide implementation of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy in Kinnow mandarin was implemented during 2021-2023 covering 5 villages at Hisar, Haryana. Among the IPM strategy, installing yellow sticky traps @ 20/ha, neem seed kernel extract spray @ 5 %, and imidacloprid 17.8SL @ 0.3 % reduced the whitefly and psylla populations. The spray of 1 % starch and dipping infected fruits in a bleaching solution @ 0.1 % reduced the severity of sooty mould disease. Pruning and destruction of dead twigs followed by a spray of copper oxychloride 50 WP @ 0.3 % were found very effective too. The lowest average population of psylla and whitefly were recorded in T₁-IPM compared to T₂-farmer practice and T₃-control, respectively. Minimum average disease severity of sooty mould and dieback was noticed in T₁-IPM compared to T₂-farmer practice while the highest disease severity was recorded in T₃-control. Population dynamics of psylla, whitefly and sooty mould, dieback severity, and Area Under Diseases Progress Curve (AUDPC) were found to vary during 11th to 52nd standard meteorological week (SMW). They were observed to be highest in T₃-control treatment, followed by T₂-farmer practice and T₁-IPM. The highest natural enemy's populations (Coccinellid, <i>Chrysoperla,</i> and spider) were recorded in T₃-control followed by T₁-IPM, and then in T₂-farmer practice treatment. The highest average fruit yield and B: C ratio was recorded in T₁-IPM compared to T₂-farmer practice and T₃-control treatment. The validated IPM strategies can be adopted by Kinnow mandarin growing farmers as an economically viable option for the management of psylla, whitefly, sooty mould, and dieback pests.