Impact of insecticides on abundance of non-target soil mesofauna in rice ecosystem Shyamrao Ingle Dipak*, Raghuraman M, Kumar Abhinav, Gajbhiye Rupesh Kumar Department of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005 *Email: dipakingle99@gmail.com (corresponding author)
Online published on 21 July, 2020. Abstract An experimental trial was conducted during kharif 2016 and 2017 at the Agriculture Research Farm, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi to study the biodiversity and impact of conventional and newer insecticides on non-target soil mesofauna (springtails) in rice ecosystem. Results revealed a total of 21 specimens under 14 genera of Collembola belonging to 7 families. The species viz., Lepidcyrtus fimetarius, L. curvicollis, L. paradoxus, Proisotoma ripicola, Hypogastrura sonapani, H. viatica, Salina selebensis, Isotoma dagamae and I. trispinata were the most abundant. All the insecticidal treatments showed adverse effects on the collembolan population. Considering all the four observations taken after the second insecticidal spray, neem (azadirachtin 0.15% EC) @ 4 ml/l followed by dinotefuran 20% SG @ 40 g a.i./ha was found to be less detrimental. Fipronil 5% SC @ 50 g a.i./ha resulted in drastic reduction in collembolan population followed by carbofuran 3% G @ 750 g a.i./ha. Maximum reduction was observed with fipronil 5% SC @ 50 g a.i./ha with 57.14 and 56.00% during kharif, 2016 and 2017, respectively. Top Keywords Rice, insecticides, Collembola, species diversity, abundance, azadirachtin, dinotefuran, fipronil, carbofuran, non- target effects. Top |