Evaluation of Bioagents and Botanicals for the Management of Spodoptera litura and Erionota thrax in the Sugandhi Banana

Banana production is significantly affected by a range of biotic and abiotic factors, with insect pests being among the most serious biotic threats to successful cultivation. In particular, the defoliator pests Spodoptera litura and the leaf roller Erionota thrax pose considerable challenges to banana farmers. To explore sustainable management strategies, a field study was conducted during 2021 and 2022 in farmers’ fields within the Tungabhadra Command area of Vijayanagar district, Karnataka, India. The objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of selected bioagents and botanicals against these key pests. The experiment consisted of seven treatments, laid out in a randomized block design with three replications. Pooled data across both years showed that the treatment T4 Beauveria bassiana strain UHSB-END1 applied at 10 g per plant as a soil application at 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th months intervals resulted in the lowest leaf infestation by S. litura (1.69%) and E. thrax (1.76%). This was statistically comparable to T3, where B. bassiana was applied during the 5th and 6th months only registered 2.13% and 2.76% infestation, respectively. The next most effective treatments were T2 neem cake @ 250 kg/ha applied at the same monthly intervals (2.57% and 3.71%) and T6 carbofuran 3% G @ 10 g/plant applied at the 5th and 6th months (2.79% and 4.05%). The untreated control plots recorded the highest levels of infestation, underscoring the need for active pest management. Overall, the results highlight the potential of B. bassiana as a promising bioagent for integrated management of banana defoliators under field conditions.