Efficacy of botanicals against jassid Empoasca flavescens F. (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) on mulberry and their biosafety to natural enemies.

Efficacy of some promising botanicals and the synergists were compared to the commonly used chemical dichlorvos (76EC) against jassid Empoasca flavescens F. infesting mulberry as well as their biosafety to natural enemies. Among the botanicals, sole application of neem oil (3%), FORS (2%) and pongamia oil (3%) recorded 48.73, 46.88 and 42.49% reduction in jassid population respectively, whereas the NSKE (5%) exhibited least among all (33.59% at 1 DAS).The synergistic effect of neem oil and FORS recorded the best, 72.64% reduction followed by Pongamia oil + FORS (62.81%) and neem oil + pongamia oil (60.16%). Though dichlorvos was effective than all treatments (88.57% reduction) the chemical also eliminated more than 90% population of predatory coccinellids and spiders but the botanicals found relatively safer. Hence, the combination of neem oil (3%) with fish oil rosin soap (2%) could be used as an alternate to dichlorvos to manage jassid menace in mulberry as well as to conserve the natural enemies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]