Evaluating the Effect of Compatible Pesticides Spray Against Major Pests and Diseases of Apple Gupta Saurav*, Sharma Neerja, Sinha Abhay Kumar ICAR- Krishi Vigyan Kendra (SKUAST-Jammu), Samba184121Jammu and Kashmir, India *Email for correspondence: sauravento@gmail.com
Online Published on 12 September, 2022. Abstract A two-year field trial was conducted at Shalimar campus, SKUAST-Kashmir, J&K to study the compatibility of various insecticides and fungicides against major pests and diseases of apple. Insecticides and fungicides are recommended to be sprayed separately without admixing suspensions involving huge labour and time components. Different pesticides and fungicides were sprayed at five different phenological stages (pink bud, petal fall, fruit let and fruit development stage-I and -III). Standard controls comprising recommended sprays were also given at these stages for comparison in addition to unsprayed check. Observations with respect to foliage and fruit scab, Alternaria leaf blotch (ALB), per cent mortality of European red mite (ERM) and San Jose scale (SJS) were recorded at petal fall, fruit let, fruit development stage-I, II and pre-harvest stages. The pesticidal combinations exhibiting physical incompatibility were discarded in the initial phase. No incidence of apple scab, ALB and ERM was observed at petal fall stage. However SJS was noticed at this stage. Combined spray of fungicides and insecticidse proved equally effective in controlling SJS. Myclobutanil 10 WP (30 g) + dimethoate 30 EC proved most effective (68.6% SJS mortality) which was at par with flusilozole 40 EC (30 ml) + dimethoate 30 EC (100 ml), funarimol 12 EC (40 ml) + dimethoate 30 EC (100 ml), dodine 65 WP (60 g) followed by dimethoate 30 EC (100 ml) and fenazaquine 10 EC (40 ml). At pre-harvest stage, all the treatments controlled scab, ALB, ERM and SJS in comparison to unsprayed check. Penconazole had least foliage scab incidence and dithionon + dimethoate showed lowest intensity (2.30%). Fruit scab incidence and intensity were lowest in penconazole + milbemectin and dithionon + milbemectin respectively. ALB incidence and intensity were least in dithionon 75 WP (75 g) + milbemectin 1 EC (100 ml) and dithionon 75 WP (75 g) + dimethoate 30 EC (100 ml) treatments (9.43 and 4.67 respectively). The mortality of ERM was high in abamectin treatment. Similarly SJS mortality was high in dimethoate sprayed alone. Thus compatible chemicals can effectively minimize labour, time and inputs. Top Keywords Pesticides, Apple, Compatibility, Insecticides, Fungicides. Top |