Vol. 11, Special Issue 6 (2022)

Author(s):
Kumari Pragya and SB Das

Abstract:
Glycine max ‘The Miracle Crop’ is occupying an eminent position in world agriculture. Among major defoliators, infesting soybean crop, Tobacco caterpillar, Spodoptera litura Fab. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) damages the crop during the vegetative stage as well as reproductive stage. Scientists are speculating an increased outbreak of this pest as the increased resistance level against various insecticides had been reported. Therefore, an effective alternative and an environmentally safe pest management strategy is the demand of day and use of biocontrol agents is undoubtedly a boon to be harnessed. Efficacy of entomopathogenic fungi i.e. Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae and Lecanicillium lecanii to 2^nd instar larval stage of S. litura at concentrations 1×10⁸, 1×10¹⁰ and 1×10¹² spores/ml were tested in-vitro at Biocontrol Research and Production Center, JNKVV, Jabalpur. Highest larval mortality (2^nd instar) was observed with B. bassiana, followed by M. anisopliae and lowest in L. lecanii, at all the three concentrations i.e. 1× 10¹², 1× 10¹⁰ and 1× 10⁸ spores / ml, which were significantly superior than the control. Therefore, in the present study B. bassiana at highest spore concentration (1× 10¹² spores / ml) was found to be highly effective as it registered maximum larval mortality at 120 HAT. It can be inferred that larval mortality was dependent on dose, time and pathogenicity of EPF used.