Efficacy of entomopathogens, pesticidal plants and chemicals against fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) under laboratory condition

The experimental research was conducted under laboratory conditions at the Division of Entomology, Dr. Sharadchandra Pawar College of Agriculture, Baramati. This study evaluates the efficacy of entomopathogens, pesticidal plants, and chemicals against fall armyworm. During the experiment second instar larvae were fed an artificial diet treated with eight different treatments: Azadirachta indica (15000 ppm), Datura stramonium (10%), Lantana camara (10%), Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (1% WG), Metarhizium anisopliae (1.15% WP), Emamectin benzoate (5% SG), Spinetoram (11.7 SC), and an untreated control. Larval mortality was recorded at 24, 48, and 72 hours after exposure. Among the treatments, Lantana camara showed the highest mortality (91.11-98.89%) across all doses and time intervals, followed by Metarhizium anisopliae (88.89-96.66%) and Emamectin benzoate (87.89-98.89%). The findings highlight the efficacy of plant extracts and microbial agents, particularly Lantana camara and Metarhizium anisopliae, as promising, eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic insecticides for fall armyworm management.