RELATIVE SUITABILITY OF VARIOUS INSECTICIDE FOR EARLY CROP MANAGEMENT OF COTTON AGAINST SUCKING INSECT PEST COMPLEX ESPECIALLY DUSKY COTTON BUG OXYCARENUS HYALINIPENNIS (HEMIPTERA: OXYCARENIDAE)

Cotton growers are much concerned about early crop health of cotton and use pesticides to control dusky cotton bug (DCB) without knowing its adverse effect at that stage as they think that it is responsible for early shedding of fruiting parts. The present study was carried out to evaluate the performance of ten pesticides including Rignil (fipronil 5 SC),Tara crop science @ 480 ml/acre; Pyriban (chlorpyriphos 40% EC), Helb prsticides chemicals @ 500ml/acre; Radiant (spintoram 11.7% EC ), Arysta Life science @ 60 ml/acre; Karate (lamda cyhalothrin 2.5 EC), Syngenta Pak. Ltd. @300 ml/acre; Concept (pyriproxyfen, 10.5 EC), Kanzo AG @ 200ml/acre; Bono (acetamiprid 20% SL), Helb pesticides chemicals @ 125ml/acre; Pyramid (nitenpyram 10% AS) Kanzo AG @ 200 ml/acre; Polo (diafenthiuron 5% EC), Syngenta Pvt. Ltd. @ 200ml/acre; Starfen (bifenthrin 10% EC), Tara Crop Science @ 250 ml/acre; and Vibrant (chlorfenapyr 36 SC), Kanzo AG @ 200 ml/acre at early cotton stage when only adult stage of DCB is found in rolled leaves, buds, flowers and sepals of the fruiting parts. The effects of these insecticides on plant health, DCB and remaining insect pest complex were investigated. The results revealed nonsignificant effect of insecticides on percent increase of fruiting parts and plant height. Chlorpyriphos (94.5%), lamda cyhalothrin (87%), spintoram (74.7%) and fipronil (71.7%) proved the most effective and toxic insecticides against DCB and can be used in cotton management program. However, if the beneficial fauna has established then lamda cyhalothrin, spintoram or fipronil can be preferred for avoiding mass destruction of beneficial fauna.