Field Application of Trichogramma chilonis (Ishii) for the Management of Sugarcane Borers

Abstract.-These studies were conducted at farmer's fields in Mardan district during the cropping season [2008][2009] to investigate the efficacy and potentiality of inundative and inoculative release methods of Trichogramma chilonis (Ishii) for the management of sugarcane borers. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design. There were three treatments and four replications in each treatment. The data revealed that both inundative and inoculative release methods of T. chilonis were more effective as compared with the control throughout the entire growing season. Inundative release method of T. chilonis was found the most effective technique against Chilo infuscatellus (Snellen) infestation in both sugarcane plant and ratoon crops with minimum mean percent infestation of 3.50 and 6.50 respectively. This was followed by Inoculative release method, where 6.75 and 10.00 mean percent infestation was recorded in sugarcane plant and ratoon crops respectively. Maximum infestation was recorded in control plots with mean percent infestation of 7.87 and 12.75 in sugarcane plant and ratoon crops respectively. The data further revealed that inundative release method of T. chilonis in both sugarcane plant and ratoon crops also effectively controlled Acigona steniellus (Hamp) with minimum borer's infestation by recording 3.25 and 3.37 mean percent infestations in both sugarcane plant and ratoon crops respectively. It was followed by the plots where T. chilonis were released as inoculative release method, where 4.87 and 6.25 mean percent infestation was recorded in sugarcane plant and ratoon crop respectively. Control plots showed maximum A. steniellus infestation in plant crop (7.27%) and ratoon crop (7.65%). The data further showed that no Scirpophaga nivella Fabric infestation was recorded in both sugarcane plant and ratoon crops. Maximum yield of sugarcane was recorded in both plant and ratoon crops of sugarcane in plots treated with inundative release method (101.5t/ha in plant crop and 69.25 t/ha in ratoon crop) followed by inoculative release method (95.84t/ha in plant crop and 63.14t/ha in ratoon crop). The lowest yield of sugarcane was recorded in control (91.14 t/ha and 58.33 t/ha)