Search

Purpose Botanical pesticides are now emerging as a valuable component of IPM strategies in all crops due to their efficacy to insect pests and safety to their natural enemies. The prime purpose of the study is to check the efficiency of plant extracts against the Heliothis armigera on tomato. Methodology The trial test was performed in randomized block design with six treatments and three replications. The infestation was evaluated and subjected to analysis of variance with LSD. Field experiments were performed to check the efficacy of chemical and botanical formulations against fruit borer, Heliothis armigera infesting tomato. The insecticides Steward, Tracer, and Proclaim ( Sahito 2013 ), were applied four times at the interval of 15 days of second, third and fourth spray, respectively. Social Implications Plants derived chemicals act as an environmentally safe alternative to chemical pesticides. Secondary metabolites from plants play a key defensive role against the pests and act as antifeedants, oviposition deterrents, and growth inhibitors. Plant extracts pose less threat to the animals, human, and society. Finding s The results showed that all three insecticides performed well in reducing the infestation in fruits by the H. armigera however, Proclaim gave best results. It shows 1.22 % of infestation after the 4th spray and 95.72% mortality. Simultaneously three plants extract Nigella sativa , Aristolochia leaf extract, Jatropha curcas ( Ratnadass 2012 ) also applied to check their efficacy against fruit borer. Among these plants extract Nigella sativa extract perform well against H.armigera . After the application of Nigella sativa 4th spray, the percent infestation was 3.83 and 72.99% mortality while Aristolochia leaf extract and Jatropha curcas were comparatively less potent with 48.5% and 62.64% mortality respectively. Originality The study was performed at Zoology Department, A.N.D. College, Kanpur. Data collected through the randomized block design method.