1149 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HORTICULTURE - 2009 1.3-P25 BIO-EFFICACY OF BOTANICALS AND BIO-PESTICIDE AGAINST DIAMONDBACK MOTH (Plutella xylostella LINN.) INFESTING RED CABBAGE (Brassica oleracea L. VAR. Capitata F. Rubra L.) R.V ishwakarma, P. H. Prasad and S. S. Ghatak Department of Agricultural Entomology, Department of Vegetable Crops, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal INTRODUCTION Among the cole crops grown in India, red cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata f. rubra L., family, Cruciferae) is considered as one of the exotic vegetable. Among the various vegetables growing in West Bengal. Extensive damage to the red cabbage crop is caused due to the attack of insect pests throughout the crop period. Among the pest complex of red cabbage, diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella (Linn.) is the most destructive and dreaded pest. Further, farmers spend large amount of money towards insecticides. Krishna Kumar et al. (1983) reported 52% loss in marketable yield of cabbage due to the attack of P. xylostella. The farmers use various synthetic pesticides to reduce the damage by this pest, but with limited success. Therefore, considering the importance of this pest in red cabbage cultivation vis-à-vis the ill-effects of using synthetic chemicals, an attempt was made to find out the bio-efficacy of the seed extracts of Kochila, Strychnos nuxvomica (Loganeaceae) and Yam bean, Pachyrrizus erosus (Papilionaceae) using petroleum ether as solvent as well as an entomopathogenic fungus eg., Beauveria bassiana, against important on diamondback moth, P. xylostella. MATERIAL AND METHODS Field experiments were conducted at Horticulture Research Station Mondouri, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Nadia, West Bengal, India, to evaluate the bio-efficacy of seed extracts of S. nuxvomica and P. erosus with petroleum ether as solvent and a fungus, Bean veria bassiana against diamondback moth (DBM), P. xylostella (Linn.), on ‘Red queen’, a variety of red cabbage, following randomized block design. These were compared with untreated control and also with emamectin benzoate 5% SG + B.bassiana, a new generation synthetic pesticide. The doses used for different treatments are given in the Table 1. The spraying was initiated at 45 days after transplanting and subsequent sprayings were given at 15 days intervals. In total, there were thirteen treatments including an untreated control and each treatment was replicated three times. The infestation of P. xylostella was observed on the basis of presence of holes on the leaves. For this, the observations were recorded one day before spraying and 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10 days there-after on three plants in each replication, selected randomly. To ascertain the phytotoxic effects and yield of the test products, leaf injury on leaf surface, necrosis, colour, epinasty and hyponasty were taken into consideration and such effects were recorded for a period of 10 days after spraying (DAS). The results obtained during 2007-08 and 2008-09 were pooled before subjecting for statistical analysis. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The results achieved during winter crop season of 2007-08 and 2008-09 on the impact of two plant extracts and an entomopathogenic fungus, in reducing diamondback moth incidence in red cabbage, have been pooled and presented in Table1.