Bio-pesticidal alternative to manage sunflower capitulum borer

Experiment was conducted in randomised block design during Kharif 2009-2011 at Experimental Farm, Oilseeds Research Station Latur, Maharashtra to study the bio-efficacy of the different six bio pesticides and one chemical check spray along with one untreated control. The study brought out the significant difference among the effect of biopesticide against capitulum borer indicated that all the insecticides were found to be significantly superior in recording minimum infestation of capitulum borer over untreated control. Among different treatment Profenophos50 EC @ 0.05% was found effective and was at par with the treatment of HaNPV @ 2 x 108 POBs/ml revealed that the highest yield was recorded by the treatment of Profenophos 50 EC @ 0.05%(i.e. 1467 kg/ha) followed by the treatment of HaNPV @ 2 x 108 POBs/ml (1416 kg/ha) and both of these treatments were at par with each other. Although the highest net return was recorded (Table 7) for the treatment of Profenophos50 EC @ 0.05% (Rs. 22532), and was followed by treatment of HaNPV @ 2 x 108 POBs/ml (Rs. 21520) & NSKE 5% (Rs. 19197), highest IBCR was recorded with the treatment of HaNPV @ 2 x 108 POBs/ml (1:15.07), and was followed by treatment of NSKE 5% (1:14.32) and Profenophos50 EC @ 0.05% (1:11.93) at same time Profenophos @ 0.05%was found most toxic to natural enemies and having reduced visits of honey bees in comparison with the treatments of bio-pesticides.