Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-pjpqr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-22T21:45:52.064Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Effects of potassium chloride and potassium sulphate on the efficacy of insecticides against infestation by Helopeltis theivora (Heteroptera: Miridae) in tea plantations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 August 2014

Azizur Rahman*
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology, Tea Research Association, Tocklai Experimental Station, Jorhat785008, Assam, India
Somnath Roy
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology, Tea Research Association, Tocklai Experimental Station, Jorhat785008, Assam, India
Narayanan Nair Muraleedharan
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology, Tea Research Association, Tocklai Experimental Station, Jorhat785008, Assam, India
Ajit Kumar Phukan
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology, Tea Research Association, Tocklai Experimental Station, Jorhat785008, Assam, India
Get access

Abstract

Helopeltis theivora Waterhouse is a major sucking pest of tea in northeast India. No effective predators or parasitoids have been recorded from the field, and, therefore, insecticides play a significant role in the control of this pest. Potassium is known to impart physiological resistance to plants against sucking pests. The present study conducted two field trials to evaluate the bioefficacy of thiamethoxam 25 WG and bifenthrin 8 SC applied alone at the dosage recommended by the Tocklai Tea Research Institute and in combination with 2% potassium chloride (KCl) and mined potassium sulphate (K2SO4) against H. theivora. No phytotoxic effects were observed in the field when tea bushes were sprayed. The control of H. theivora achieved by the combinations of thiamethoxam+KCl/K2SO4 and bifenthrin+KCl/K2SO4 was found to be statistically significant (P< 0.05) compared with the sole application of the insecticides. These treatments could be included in the current integrated pest management programme against H. theivora.

Type
Short Communication
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aggarwal, R. A. (1985) Role of potash and other salts in plants in insect population and damage. Potash Research Institute India (Research Review Series) 3, 1322.Google Scholar
Andrews, E. A. (1914) A note on the relation between the tea mosquito (Helopeltis theivora) and the soil. Quarterly Journal of the Scientific Department of the Indian Tea Association Calcutta 4, 3135.Google Scholar
Andrews, E. A. (1923) Factors Affecting the Control of the Tea Mosquito Bug (Helopeltis theivora, Waterh.) Worrall & Robey, London. 260 pp.Google Scholar
Gurusubramanian, G., Rahman, A., Sarmah, M., Roy, S. and Bora, S. (2008) Pesticide usage pattern in tea ecosystem, their retrospects and alternative measures. Journal of Environmental Biology 29, 813826.Google ScholarPubMed
Marschner, P. (ed.) (2012) Marschner's Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plants. 3rd edn. Academic Press, London. 651 pp.Google Scholar
McCall, W. W. (1980) Foliar application of fertilizers. Hawaii Cooperative Extension Service, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii. General Home Garden Series No. 24, 2 pp. Google Scholar
Mengel, K. and Kirkby, E. A. (eds) (2001) Principles of Plant Nutrition. 5th edn. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht. 849 pp.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Perrenoud, S. (1990) Potassium and Plant Health 2nd completely revised edn. International Potash Institute, Bern. 359 pp.Google Scholar
Petroff, R. (2008) Pesticide interactions and compatibility. Montana State University. http://www.ovs.com/1_pesticide_interactions.htm.Google Scholar
Prasad, D., Singh, R. and Singh, A. (2010) Management of sheath blight of rice with integrated nutrients. Indian Phytopathology 63, 1115.Google Scholar
Pritchett, W. L. and Horn, G. C. (1966) Fertilization fights turf disorders. Better Crop 50, 2226.Google Scholar
Roy, S., Mukhopadhyay, A. and Gurusubramanian, G. (2010) Field efficacy of a biopesticide prepared from Clerodendrum viscosum Vent. (Verbenaceae) against two major tea pests in the sub Himalayan tea plantations of North Bengal, India. Journal of Pest Science 83, 371377.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saha, D. and Mukhopadhyay, A. (2013) Insecticide resistance mechanisms in three sucking insect pests of tea with reference to North-East India: an appraisal. International Journal of Tropical Insect Science 33, 4670.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sarwar, M. (2012) Effects of potassium fertilization on population build up of rice stem borers (lepidopteran pests) and rice (Oryza sativa L.) yield. Journal of Cereals and Oilseeds 3, 69.Google Scholar
Schuphan, W. (1974) Nutritional value of crops as influenced by organic and inorganic fertilizer treatments. Qualitas Plantarum - Plant Foods for Human Nutrition 23, 333358.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Snedecor, G. W. and Cochran, W. G. (1989) Statistical Methods, 8th edn. Iowa State University Press, Ames 503 pp.Google Scholar
Snyder, C. S., Miley, W. N., Oosterhuis, D. M. and Maples, R. L. (1991) Foliar application of potassium to cotton. University of Arkansas, Cooperative Extension Service. Cotton Comments, pp. 491.Google Scholar
Van Emden, H. F. (1966) Studies on the relations of insect and host plant. III. A comparison of the reproduction of Brevicoryne brassicae (L.) and Myzus persicae (Sulz.) (Hem: Aphididae) on Brussels sprout plants supplied with different rates of nitrogen and potassium. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 9, 444460.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, M., Zheng, Q., Shen, Q. and Guo, S. (2013) The critical role of potassium in plant stress response. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 14, 73707390.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed