~ 299 ~ Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 2019; 7(1): 299-303 E-ISSN: 2320-7078 P-ISSN: 2349-6800 JEZS 2019; 7(1): 299-303 © 2019 JEZS Received: 07-11-2018 Accepted: 09-12-2018 Syed Shahzad Ali Department of Entomology, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, Pakistan Syed Suhail Ahmed Department of Entomology, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, Pakistan Huma Rizwana Department of Livestock Management, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, Pakistan Izhar Ali Jatoi Department of Entomology, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, Pakistan Syed Shaharyar Ali Department of Entomology, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, Pakistan Correspondence Syed Shahzad Ali Department of Entomology, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, Pakistan Effect of plant extract and synthetic insecticides against insect pests of cabbage crop Syed Shahzad Ali, Syed Suhail Ahmed, Huma Rizwana, Izhar Ali Jatoi and Syed Shaharyar Ali Abstract A field study was carried out during 2015 at Mohammad Bukhsh Dahar Farm, Bakrani District Larkana, to examine the effect of plant extract and synthetic insecticides against insect pests of cabbage crop. Four treatments with three replications were applied. The treatments were: T1=Chemical control Confidor20% SL (Imidacloprid), T2= Neem, T3= Tobacco, T4= Untreated (Control). Two insect pests were found infesting cabbage including white flies and thrips. Pretreatment- and post-treatment observations were recorded. The results revealed that against thrips, the first spray of chemical control (Confidor) showed highest reduction percent (84.62%) followed by Neem (76.62%), Tobacco (74.76%), and lowest for untreated control (6.14%); while in the second spray, chemical control (Confidor) showed highest effect against thrips (87.33%); followed by Neem (79.96%), Tobacco (78.32%) and least by untreated plot (2.61%). Against Whitefly, similar pattern found in chemical control (Confidor) which showed highest effect (78.68%), followed by Neem (62.01%), Tobacco (55.35%) and untreated control (8.27%). After second spray, chemical control (Confidor) showed highest reduction percent (85.19%) followed by Neem (71.12%), Tobacco (63.96%) and the lowest was resulted by untreated control (4.46%). Chemical control (Confidor) showed its superiority in effect to combat sucking insect pests studied in cabbage, followed by Neem, Tobacco and untreated control remained the least. Keywords: Plant extract, synthetic insecticides, cabbage, thrips, whitefly Introduction Cabbage, Brassica oleracea L. hybrid variety (shehzadi) is a cole crop belongs to the Cruciferae family. Cabbage is the most important vegetable crops in the world. It contains most of the minerals and vitamins necessary for human diet. In Pakistan cabbage is cultivated on an area of about 11.350 thousand hectares with annual production of 206.385 thousand tones, however in the province of Sindh in grown 1.65 thousand hectares with the production of 11.385 thousand tones [1] . To control these insect pests, most of the growers relied only on the use of insecticides and they apply on the schedules or calendar spraying without any considerations whether the pests are present in the field or damage occurs or not. Such practices can create the following problems: (1) selection of resistance in population, (2) destruction of beneficial species, (3) resurgence of treated populations, (4) outbreak of secondary pests, (5) residues in foods and environment and (6) hazard to human and environment. Sole reliance on insecticides has created problems for controlling insect and maintaining environment. Thus intensified search for alternative strategies of pest control is necessary. Among the strategies available, botanical insecticide is one of the promising tactic to control the vegetable pests. Cabbage is the attacked by as many as 24 insect pest species which cause serious economic loss to the crop [2] . Among the different insect pests, sucking insect pests are the devastators, aphid, aphis gossypii, jassid, amrasca deveatan, whitefly, bemisia tabacai and thrip, thrips tabaci, diamond back moth and cut worms are the serious pests including of cabbage in the local condition. These insect pests damaged the crop resulting poor growth of plant and loss of yield (Luckmann and Metcalf, 1994). Due to hazards of pesticides recently neem bio pesticides is use for pest control in crops [3] . Neem tree (Azadirachtan indica A. Juss) has been a subject of great interest for scientists, all over the world and a large number of research articles had been published that prove the antifeedent, repellent, IRG, toxic effects of neem formation, isolated functions, crude extracts and kernel powder. The most important active ingredient of most neem based bio-pesticides is