Performance of Various Pesticides Against Yellow Stem Borer, Scirpophaga incertulas (Walker) of Basmati Rice and Effect on Yield in Northern India

Background: Rice (Oryza sativa Linn.) is a staple food crop that sustains billions of people worldwide, especially in Asia, where it provides a significant portion of daily caloric intake. It grows across diverse climates, from tropical to temperate regions and at varying elevations. India is well-known for its aromatic basmati rice, valued for its unique fragrance and quality. Methods: Investigation conducted during the Kharif-2018 at C.R.C. of S.V.P. University of Ag. and Tech., Meerut, utilizing RBD with 9 treatments which were replicated thrice including control. Twenty-five-day-old Pusa Basmati-1 seedlings were transplanted into 5 × 4 m² plots. Treatments were applied twice during peak pest populations using a knapsack sprayer with a hollow cone nozzle. Result: In the field different insect pest was occurred i.e. Scirpophaga incertulas, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis, Nilaparvata lugens and others. Among all the treatments, Fipronil 5 SC was the most effective after that Imidacloprid 17.8 SC and C. hydrochloride 4G. In the bio-pesticide category, Beauveria bassiana was the most effective followed by Metarhizium anisopliae and Verticillium lecanii. Fipronil treatment yielded the highest grain production (38.35 q/ha), while Imidacloprid produced 37.26 q/ha.