Efficacy testing of various categories of pesticides for aphid management in cauliflower crops

Aphids are the important insect pest of winter season vegetable crops such as cabbage, cauliflower, mustard in Nepal. Their damage in these crops not only reduces the potential yields but also affects the market quality of those crops. Pesticides management practices are the common to reduce their infestation and crop damage. Judicious use of soft chemicals not only improve the farmers' health but also protect pollinator and beneficial soil arthropods. Therefore, a field study was conducted to test the commonly used alternative safe measures (bio-pesticides, home-made and chemical) in RCBD in a four replicates design in cauliflower crop cv. Snow Mystique. These were Mahashakti (Bt.), Neemix (Azadirachtin), Spinosad (bacteria-based), Liquid manure (a mixture of succulent plants, cow urine, fresh cow dung and ash) and Cypermethrin-10 (Superkiller-10). The study suggested that Cypermethrin-10 treated plots followed by Liquid manure and Spinosad was more effective to keep the aphid population below the threshold level than the control. The highest cauliflower curd yield was recorded in Cypermethrin treated plot (42.3 mt ha-1 ) followed by Spinosad. This study suggests that chemicals are superior in terms of population reduction and crop yield but these were not eco-friendly and sustainable. Hence, integrating these chemicals to other bio-pesticides could be an alternative to aphid as well as other pest management.