Assessment of Yield Losses due to Major Insect Pests of Groundnut in Karnataka, India

Aims: Groundnut is a major crop used for oil seed in India. Significant productivity losses were caused by major pest infestations. Looking toward the economic significance of the crop, the current study was conducted to determine the influence of key pests on yield loss.

Study Design: Paired T test.

Place and Duration of Study: AICRP on Groundnut, Main Agricultural Research Station and Department of Agricultural Entomology, Dharwad during kharif 2021 between July to October.

Methodology: The experimental crop was set up with three replications, two distinct protected and unprotected, and two treatments (V1: JL-24 and V2: Dh-256). Chemical protection at 25 DAS with thiamethoxam 25 WG @ 0.25g/l and 50 DAS with flubendiamide 20 WG @ 0.5g/l was used in both treatments of protected plots. Before and after the application of pesticides for 7 and 14 days on ten plants in each plot, observations were made regarding the population of pests. At harvest, the pod and haulm yield from every plot were noted, along with an estimate of the yield losses.

Results: The crop that was chemically protected showed lower infestations of thrips, leafhoppers, Spodoptera litura, Thysanoplusia orichalcea, and Maruca vitrata when compared to the crop that was not treated. Under protected conditions, the greatest preventable yield loss of groundnut pod and fodder was 29.72% &17.57 and 35.51 & 22.59% in both kinds. Additionally, the pod yield ascended to 42.30 and 21.31% and the haulm yield to 55.07 and 29.18%.

Conclusion: The current study's findings suggest that groundnut pod and fodder production loss may be prevented by using an efficient pesticide to defend against the main insect pests.