Efficacy of chemical and botabical materials against banana scarring beetle (Nodostoma viridipennis Motsch.) (Coleoptera : Chrysomelidae).

Keywords: Banana, scarring beetle, Nodostoma viridipennis, eco-friendly management 

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of chemical and botanical materials against the banana scarring beetle (Nodostoma viridipennis Motsch.) in Nawalparasi district of Nepal in June 2006. The treatments consisted of multineem @ 5ml/lit, annoson @ 5ml/lit, rajmala or malathion @ 2ml/lit, stempad @ 2ml/lit, endosulphan @ 2ml/lit, surti : water 1:2, Umet 10 gm/plant and control (water) replicated three times in RCBD. There were altogether three sprays at fourteen days interval and total number of beetle population were counted in the leaf whorl before spray, after one, seven and fourteen days in each succeeding spray. The result showed that the systemic insecticide, Umet gave the highest reduction of beetle population (100%), whereas botanical pesticide, annosom resulted 84% reduction over control after the first spray and contact pesticide thiodan up to 87.9% over control after the first spray. The indigenous botanical pesticides are environmentally safe, which reduced beetle population below the economic threshold level.