Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

MONITORING OF INSECTICIDE RESISTANCE IN TOBACCO CATERPILLAR, SPODOPTERA LITURA (FABRICIUS) OF MAJOR VEGETABLE GROWING DISTRICTS OF PUNJAB, INDIA

Prabhjot Kaur* and B. K. Kang

Abstract

Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is one of the major pests of many agricultural crops in India. Insecticide resistance monitoring of different insecticides, i.e. chlorantraniliprole, indoxacarb, quinalphos, deltamethrin and emamectin benzoate was evaluated during 2012-13 against this pest in populations collected from two different locations viz., Malerkotla (maximum pesticides usage) and Hoshiarpur (minimum pesticides usage) of Punjab. These insecticides at their variable concentrations were tested against third instar larvae of S. litura, for testing toxicity under laboratory conditions using leaf dip method recommended by Insecticide Resistance Action Committee. The resistance ratio for Malerkotla populations of deltamethrin, quinalphos, indoxacarb, and chlorantraniliprole and emamectin benzoate was 64.2, 38.9, 3.8, 3.1 and 2- fold, respectively when compared to the baseline values of these insecticides. Insecticide resistance monitoring study against, S. litura revealed low to high level of resistance against the various insecticides tested viz., chlorantraniliprole, indoxacarb and quinalphos, deltamethrin as compared to emamectin benzoate which was found to be most effective insecticides amongst the tested chemicals. It was tried to establish correlation between levels of insecticide resistance and the activity of esterases in the S. litura population.