EVALUATION OF NOVEL ACARICIDES AND BOTANICALS AGAINST RICE LEAF MITE, OLIGONYCHUS ORYZAE (HIRST) (ACARI:TETRANYCHIDAE), A KEY PEST OF SUMMER RICE IN ANDHRA PRADESH INDIA

Rice leaf mite, Oligonychus oryzae (Hirst) is a key pest of summer rice crop in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, where summer/early kharif rice crop cultivation is being practiced.The frequent occurrence of leaf mite reported in alarming proportions and causing considerable yield loss during early kharif season from the district.A field experiment was conducted at Agricultural Research Station, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh (ANGRAU, Guntur) during Early kharif (May-September), 2022 and 2023 to evaluated four novel acaricide molecules, spiromesifen 240 SC, fenpyroximate 5 SC, propergite 57 SC and fenzaquin 10 EC; two botanicals neem oil 2 % and azadirechtin 1500 ppm along with two conventional acaricides, dicofol 18.5 Ec and profenophos 50 EC.The results revealed that at seven days after imposition of treatments the lowest mite count of 3.10 and 1.97 mites/4cm 2 leaf area was recorded in plots treated with spiromecifen 240 SC during 2022 and 2023, respectively.However, it was on par with other three new acaricides fenpyroximate 5 EC, fenazaquin 10EC and propergite 57 EC during both the years of study.Highest mean mite count of 16.89 and 13.39 mites /4cm 2 leaf area were recorded in untreated check during 2022 and 2023, respectively.Highest mean percent reduction of 82.0 and 84.08 % in leaf mite count over control was observed in plots treated with fenpyroximate 5 EC and spiromecifen 240 SC, respectively.The economic analysis of four acaricide treatments indicated that fenpyroximate 5 EC with an incremental cost benefit ratio of 30.70 was found effective and economically profitable against rice leaf mite and it was followed by fenazaquin 10 EC and propergite 57 EC with an incremental cost benefit ratio of 24.04 and 21.60 found economical and effective in controlling rice leaf mite.