Plant parasitic nematodes associated with grapevine in Coimbatore District of Tamil Nadu

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Norton, D.C. (1978). Ecology of plant parasitic nematodes. New York: John Wiley and Sons. pp.267.

Schindler, A.F. (1961). A simple substitute for a Baermann funnel. Plant Disease Reporter 45: 747-748.

Patvatha Reddy, P. (1982). Nematodes in fruits. Advances in Horticulture 3: 1617-1637.

Sivagami Vadivelu, P. Balasubramaniam, C. Chinniah, and G. Rajendran. (1992). Association of nematodes with grapevine in Tamil Nadu. Current Nematology 3: 159-166.

Rao, B.H.K., N.B. ThammiRaju, S. Tejkumar, and K. Tirumalarao. (1972). Phytoparasitic nematodes associated with Anab-e-Shahi grapes in Andhra Pradesh. Hyderabad District. Andhra Agricultural Journal 19: 2833.

Taylor, A.L. and Sasser, J.N. (1978). Biology, Identification and control of root knot nematode (Meloidogyne spp.) North Carolina State University Graphics. pp. 111. (Received : December 2004 Revised : September 2005)

______________ Madras Agric. J. 92 (7-9) : 595-598 July-September 2005

Research Notes

Effect of Cow’s-five (Panchakavya) on Spodoptera litura and Liriomyza trifolii E. BELINA, P.M.M. DAVID AND M.A.K. PILLAI Department of Entomology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural College and Research Institute, Killikulam, Vallanad 628 252, Tamil Nadu.

India is known for its traditional know-hows, popularly termed indigenous technical knowledge (ITK). Pest management is a field where such knowledge is widely practised, especially by small farmers. With organic farming gaining acceptance, scientists need to explore the possibilities of augmenting the old practices, if they are scientifically viable. Most such practices are ecofriendly and easy to follow. However, they lack adequate scientific data base. Nowadays farmers use ‘Panchakavya’, here termed Cow’s-five, for both crop nutrition and crop protection, claiming that it has insecticidal properties (Natarajan, 2003; Selvaraj, 2004). The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Cow’s-five on Spodoptera litura F. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in the laboratory and Liriomyza trifolii (Burges) (Diptera:

Agromyzidae) in the screenhouse condition and the results are discussed here. Cow’s-five was prepared as follows. Half-akg of ghee (Aavin) was first added to five kg of fresh cow dung and mixed them well with a stick in to a paste, which was kept in an airtight container for three days. Cow's urine (3 litres), milk (2 litres), curd (2 litres) and water (5 litres) were added to this mixture on the fourth day and mixed well. This semisolid stock, taken in a wide-mouthed plastic container with its lid closed, was kept under shade to undergo fermentation. Its contents were stirred up twice a day. Cow’s-five, which is a crude, semisolid, pale green mixture (ca. 15 litres) was ready for use in 7-15 days. Addition of ghee on the first day was absolutely essential to keep the preparation moist and the container was closed to

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E. Belina, P.M.M. David and M.A.K. Pillai

Table 1. Effect of Cow’s-five on feeding by S. litura larvae in the laboratory Treatments

Mean leaf area consumed (mm2 )

Mean

Experiment 1

Experiment 2

Cow’s - five 3%

772.5 (27.8) bc

683.5 (26.2) bc

728.0 (25.6) bc

Cow’s - five 3% + soapnut solution 0.5%

502.5 (22.4) ab

538.5 (23.2) b

520.5 (22.8) b

Soapnut solution 0.5%

903.8 (30.1) bc

578.0 (24.1) bc

740.9 (27.2) c

Endosulfan 0.07% (Endocel 35 EC)

150.0 (12.3)a

139.8 (11.8)a

144.9 (12.1 )a

Control

1299.4 (36.1)c

955.5 (30.9)c

1127.4 (33.6)d

SE

5.4

3.3

CD (P=0.05)

10.9

6.7

Mean of ten replications. Figures in parentheses are square root + 0.5 transformed values. In a column, means followed by the same letter are not significantly different at 5% level (CD).

prevent evaporation and to keep the mixture in a semisolid crude state for two months. For experimental purposes, this solution was named Sample A. The samples B to F were prepared as follows :

Soapnut solution 0.5% was included as a sticking agent. It was prepared by soaking overnight crushed soapnut berries, Sapindus saponaria L. (Sapindaceae), at the rate of 5 g per litre of water. The sediments were filtered through a muslin cloth.

Sample B

= Sample A (15 litres) + tender coconut water (2 litres)

Sample C

= Sample A (15 litres) + banana (6 numbers)

Sample D

= Sample A (15 litres) + beer (Kalyani) (2 litres)

Sample E

= Sample A (15 litres ) + cane juice (2 litres)

Sample F

= Sample A (15 litres ) + tender coconut water (2 litres) + banana (6 numbers) + beer (Kalyani) (2 litres) + cane juice (2 litres)

In the screenhouse experiment with S. litura, castor leaves were dipped in solutions, viz., Cow’sfive 3%, Cow’s-five 3% + soapnut solution 0.5%, soapnut solution 0.5%, endosulfan 0.07% and water (control). They were allowed to dry in petriplates (9.0 cm diameter). Field collected third instar larvae were then released to feed on the treated leaves at the rate of one larva per plate. The outline of the leaf before feeding was drawn on a graph. After 24 hours of feeding the same leaf was placed over the previously drawn leaf outline on the graph to estimate the leaf area eaten. The difference was calculated, transformed and analysed for variance. This experiment was repeated twice.

Effect of Cow’s-five (Panchakavya) on Spodoptera litura and Liriomyza trifolii

597

Table 2. Effect of Cow’s-five as a seed treatment on L. trifolii infesting cotton seedlings Treatments

No. of mines/leaf

Pooled Mean

Experiment 1

Experiment 2

Cow’s - five 3%

1.7 (1.5)abcd

2.0 (1.6)abcd

1.9 (1.5)abc

Cow’s - five + tender coconut water 3%

1.6 (1.4)abc

3.1 (1.9)d

2.3 (1.7)bcd

Cow’s - five + banana 3 %

1.6 (1.4)abc

2.7 (1.8)bcd

2.2 (1.6)bcd

Cow’s - five + beer 3%

1.8 (1.5)bcd

2.6 (1.8)d

2.2 (1.6)bcd

Cow’s - five + cane juice 3%

1.3 (1.3)ab

1.8 (1.5)ab

1.5 (1.4)ab

Cow’s - five + tender coconut water + banana + beer + cane juice 3%

2.0 (1.6)bcd

2.8 (1.8)bcd

2.4 (1.7)cd

Imidacloprid 2 g a.i./kg (Confidor 200 SL)

0.8 (1.2)a

1.4 (1.4)a

1.1 (1.3)a

2.8 (1.8)d

2.6 (1.8)bcd

2.7 (1.8)d

0.1 0.3

0.1 0.3

0.1 0.2

Control SE CD (P=0.05)

Mean of 30 observations. Figures in parentheses are square root + 0.5 transformed values. In a column, means followed by the same letter are not significantly different at 5% level (CD).

Acid-delinted cotton seeds (MCU 5) were used in the screenhouse potculture experiment to raise cotton seedlings. They were soaked in Cow’sfive solutions (A-F) separately for eight hours. Imidacloprid (2 g a.i./kg) and water were included for comparison. The treated seeds were allowed to dry in shade before they were sown in pots (22 x 13 cm) containing a homogeneous pot mixture. Three seedlings were maintained per pot. The pots were arranged in a completely randomized design with eight treatments replicated 30 times. Infestation by L. trifolii noticed on the cotyledonary leaves was recorded 15 days after sowing by counting the number of serpentine mines per

cotyledon. The second count was taken seven days later. Data on the number of mines were transformed to square root values before analysis of variance. The leaf area consumed by the S. litura larvae in the laboratory ranged from 144.9 mm2 to 1127.4 mm 2 (Table 1). Endosulfan 0.07% proved significantly (P < 0.05) superior to all other treatments, reducing the feeding nearly eight times (144.9 mm2), compared to that in control (1127.4 mm2). Although Cow’s-five and soapnut solution 0.5% were able to decrease the feeding by 30-40 per cent, there was no significant difference among Cow’s-five 3%, soapnut solution 0.5% and control. However, compared to control, the damage in Cove

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E. Belina, P.M.M. David and M.A.K. Pillai

3% + soapnut solution 0.5% was significantly (P<0.05 ) less by 50 per cent (520.5 mm2). As a seed treatment, Cow’s-five 3% was found to be at par with imidacloprid 2 g a.i./kg in terms of the number of mines per cotyledonary leaf caused by L. trifolii (Table 2), the mean of which ranged from 1.1 to 2.7 in all treatments, including control. Cow’s-five 3% was able to reduce the infestation to 1.9 mines / leaf as against 2.7 mines/leaf in control, and it was as few as they were in Cow’s-five 3% + cane juice (1.5/leaf) and imidacloprid 2 g a.i./kg (1.1/leaf). Other combinations involving Cow’s-five 3% + coconut water/banana/beer, although at par with Cow’s-five 3% alone, were not significantly different from control. Nevertheless, in Experiment 1, Cow’s-five 3% was found to be at par with control (1.7 - 2.8/ leaf). The number of mines were significantly (P<0.05 ) twice lower in Cow’s-five + cane juice (1.3/leaf) than in the control (2.8/leaf). Imidacloprid 2 g a.i./kg recorded lowest number of mines per leaf (0.8/leaf). This preliminary laboratory study with S. litura clearly indicated that Cow’s-five 3% had low to moderate effect on leaf of feeding caterpillars. When used alone, it was able to reduce the feeding by 30-40 per cent from control as good as soapnut solution 0.5%. Addition of the latter increased its efficacy by 10 per cent. It is probable that Cow’sfive may not stick to the leaves properly without a sticker like soapnut solution. The effect of other synthetic adjuvants (e.g. Teepol, Sandovit) is also not known. Compared to endosulfan 0.07%, which was the most effective capable of reducing the

damage by 80 per cent as found by several workers (Devaprasad et al., 1995; Bhosale et al., 2003), Cow’s-five 3% + soapnut solution 0.5% was 50 per cent less effective. This level of efficacy may be increased either by increasing the dose from 3% to higher or by reducing the interval between the sprays. The potculture study with L. trifolf on cotton seedlings indicates that it has been absorbed by the plant with significant effect on the leaf miner larvae as good as that of imidacloprid. This ‘systemic effect’ needs to be confirmed with other insects and on other crops as well in future.

References Bhosale, A.S., Patil, R.S. and Bhagwat, N. R. (2003). Record of pests infesting Colocasia esculenta and relative efficacy of some pesticides against S. litura (Fab.). Pestology, 27: 41-44. Devaprasad, V., Thirumala Devi, K., Rajesekhara Rao, K. and Krishnayya, P.V. (1995). Host plant-induced response to insecticides and haemolymyh esterase patterns in S. litura (Fabricus). Entomon, 20: 245-248. Natarajan, K. (2003). Panchakavya a manual. Panchakavya for farmers. Other India Press, Goa, India. 33 pp. Selvaraj, P. (2004). Panchakavya, an organic insect repellent. Numvazhi Velanmai, 13: 6. (Received : December 2004 Revised : July 2005)

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