Demonstration and Adoption of Integrated Pest Management Strategies for the Management of Pink Bollworm Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) in Cotton

Abstract

The present study was carried out in the farmers’ fields of Bhadradri Kothagudem, Telangana, India during Kharif (June–December) seasons of 2018, 2019 and 2020 to demonstrate the integrated pest management strategies for the management of pink bollworm and to know its rate of adoption among the farming community. The treatments consisted of technology demonstration and farmers’ practice. During three years of study, the population of pink bollworm has showed increasing trends. More than 10% of the rosette flowers were observed during the crop period starting from 36^th SMW and continued up to 48^th SMW. The green boll damage caused by PBW ranged between 2.1–19.2 in the demo plot, while the range was 2.2–20.6 in the control. Average population in pheromone traps was 4.48, 5.31 and 5.34 trap^-1 during 2018, 2019 and 2020 respectively. Standard weeks 36–38 (3^rd September–23^rd September) 51–3 (17^th December–21^st January) were minimum or no activity periods due to low temperature, while standard weeks, 40–44 (1^st October–4^th November) were high activity periods during these study years. The population of pheromone traps correlated with temperature and rainfall had shown negative and non-significant correlation during 2018 and 2020, while positive and non-significant correlation during 2019. Cotton seed yield in the technology demonstrated plot was higher (1965, 2055 and 2095 kg ha^-1) compared to farmers practice (1607, 1708 and 1725 kg ha^-1) during 2018, 2019 and 2020 respectively. By adopting the IPM strategies against this pest, farmers’ can avoid the yield losses up to 22.3%. Nearly 65% of the respondents had medium level of adoption on management practices for the control of PBW.