Evaluation of different mass trapping and mating disruption tools against pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in Bt cotton ecosystem

Pink bollworm is a serious pest of Bt cotton. Current techniques employed for PBW management have difficulty in bringing down its drastic damage levels. ‘SPLAT’ is a new strategy against this pest, in which males are confused by employing synthetic pheromone in higher concentration to mask the natural source. Trials were conducted using a wax based formulation, “Specialized Pheromone and Lure Application Technology” (SPLAT) to dispense and release the PBW sex pheromone. The field experiment was conducted at Kurudi village, Manvi taluk, Raichur district, Karnataka during Kharif 2017, with different treatments like sleeve trap and delta sticky trap at recommended dosage for mass trapping and SPLAT at three different doses of 500, 750 and 1250 g per acre, each treatment implemented in one acre area. Observation at weekly interval revealed that lowest rosette, green boll and locule damage of 6.38, 6.86 and 12.28 per cent was recorded in SPLAT @ 500 g per acre compared to 16.01, 19.41 and 40.83 per cent in farmers’ practice. Considering its higher yield of 46.25q per hectare and greater B:C ratio of 2.48, compared to farmers’ practice (24.55 q/ha and 1.23), SPLAT can be recommended for the management of PBW at 500 g per acre.