Author(s):

R Sheeba Jasmine, P Indiragandhi and A Motilal

Abstract: Two field experiments were conducted during kharif 2016 and rabi/summer 2017 with VRI-2 sesame variety to screen the best border crop for managing the major insect pest shoot cum capsule borer Antigastra catalaunalis by attracting and sustaining the natural enemy population in sesame ecosystem. Treatments consisted of sesame, the main crop along with border crops viz., T₁-Sesame+sorghum, T₂-Sesame+blackgram, T₃-Sesame+cowpea, T₄-Sesame +clusterbean, T₅-Sesame+pearlmillet, T₆-Sesame+sunflower, T₇-Sesame+castor and T₈- Sesame sole. Results showed that lowest population of Antigastra larva (0.4/plant) was recorded in T5 (sesame + pearl millet) followed by T₁ (sesame + sorghum) and T₇ (sesame + castor) (0.6/plant). Damage percent was more in T₈ (26.39%) (Sole sesame) followed by T₆ (sesame + sunflower) (20%). T₅ (sesame + pearl millet) registered the lowest capsule damage (4.17%) followed by T₇ (4.95%) and T₃ (5.04%). Sesame+pearl millet registered lowest leafhopper population (1.0/plant) followed by T₁=T₂ = T₄ (1.20/plant). However, phyllody incidence was less (2.02% & 6.35%) in sesame+blackgram combination as against 6.35% & 17.96 in control during vegetative and flowering stage. During rabi/summer 2017, lowest number of Antigastra (0.70/plant) was recorded in sesame + pearl millet followed by sesame + sorghum (0.73/plant) at vegetative stage. During flowering stage, pearl millet border cropping recorded lesser damage (14.04%) followed by sesame+sorghum (14.67%) whereas sole sesame recorded damage to the tune of 23.72%. However, sorghum border cropping recorded lowest capsule damage (4.67%) followed by sesame+pearl millet (4.93%). The same trend was observed during capsule formation stage also. During kharif 2016, predatory coccinellids population was more in black gram border cropping (1.41/plant) followed by sorghum and cowpea border cropping (1.10/plant). During rabi/summer 2017, also the coccinellids population was more in sesame border cropped with pulses like black gram (1.67/plant) and cow pea (1.33/plant) during flowering stage. With regard to spiders, highest population was recorded in sesame+pearl millet (0.73/plant) followed by sesame+sorghum (0.67/plant) in kharif 2016 and 1.03/plant and 0.93/plant respectively in rabi/summer 2017. Sesame+pearl millet combination recorded maximum of seed yield 547 and 636 kg/ha during kharif 2016 and rabi/summer 2017 followed by sesame+sorghum combination (528 & 612 kg/ha)

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