Validation of eco friendly integrated pest management (IPM) packages in Bt cotton at farmer's participatory field

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) module developed for transgenic cotton was compared with Recommended Package of Practices (RPP) on Bt cotton (RCH 134) during 2008 and 2009 at farmer's field in Sirsa, district of Haryana. The incidence of leafhopper, (Amrasca biguttula biguttula Ishida), Thrip (Thrip tabaci Lindeman) as well as mealybug (Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley) was significantly low in IPM as compared to RPP, except of whitefly (Bemisia tabaci, Gennadius). The predator's population was more in IPM modules than RPP. The populations of spider (0.33 and 0.28/plant), lady bird beetle (Coccinella septumpunctata, Linnaeus 0.18 and 0.12 /plant) and lacewing (Chrysoperla carnea, Stephens 0.29 and 0.23 /plant) in IPM and RPP, respectively were recorded frequently throughout the season. The damaged fruiting bodies, rosette flower, loculi damage, green boll damage were higher in RPP than IPM. On contrary, the number of good opened boll was more in IPM and bad opened bolls were more in RPP. Seed cotton yield was more in IPM (11.90 q/ha) as compared to RPP (11.47 q/ha) with Cost: Benefit ratio of 1:4.29 and 1:3.75 in IPM and RPP, respectively. The better performance of Bt cotton was recorded in both IPM modules and RPP but reduced insecticides usage to the 38 per cent in IPM (4.0 sprays in IPM and 6.5 in RPP)