Comparative Efficacy of Bio Active Plant Extracts and Insecticides against Cereal Leaf Beetle (Oulema melanopus L.) Infesting Oats in North Kashmir, India

Experiment was carried out at farmers field near the Faculty of Agriculture, Wadura, Kashmir, India during 2021-22 to evaluate efficacy of various insecticides and botanicals against cereal leaf beetle Oulema melanopus (L.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) infesting Rabi Oats (Avena sativa L.) in North Kashmir. Among plant extracts and insecticides evaluated against O. melanopus, Abamectin proved to be most effective in causing huge mortality to grub population with decreasing number of grub were recorded as (24, 21.3, 8.3, 1.6 and 1 %) after 2,4,6,8 and 10 days of spray, respectively during 2021 followed by Thiamethoxam (32.6, 15.3, 8, 0.3%) after 2, 4, 6, 8 ad 10 days of spray. Same trend of results was observed in 2022 and the pooled data. Among tested botanicals viz. neem and Artimesia; Artimesia was effective in declining the grub population with (44, 42, 41, 39 and 37%) after 2, 4, 6,8 and 10 days after spray. Severe infestation has been observed at maturity of crop and keeping in view the use as fodder to cattle it is necessary to inculcate the use of locally available botanicals for better health of cattle during the dearth period of fodder in Kashmir valley. Overall, the marginal farmers might be saved from any untoward by utilization of the bioactive plant extracts in management of this notorious pest.