A field study was carried out in the experimental area of Tamilnadu Agricultural University Orchard and parallelly in a farmer's field at Thondamuthur, Coimbatore during July 2023, to study the efficacy of Adathoda leaf extract soap formulation against the invasive thrips, Thrips parvispinusin chilli. Pre-treatment and post-treatment observations were recorded in both experimental fields. The results revealed that the adathoda leaf formulation applied @5gm/lit (43.91 to 45.52%) and 7gm/lit (49.32 to 50.98%) are the best doses against T. parvispinus in both locations without causing any Phytotoxic effect on the chilli plants. The leaf extract formulation proved better than fipronil 5% SC this novel formulation based on Adathoda proved effective for the management of thrips in chilli. Thus, the research promotes the development of an effective formulation using Adathoda leaves for the eco-friendly management of thrips in chilli.

Chilli, Thrips parvispinus, Phytotoxic effect, Adathoda leaf extract soap, Eco-friendly management

It is very common for farmers to use pesticides indiscriminately to combat insect pests with immediate effect and obtain more benefits. They are sometimes using large quantities of pesticides to control insect pests on vegetables such as chilli. As a result, pesticide residues accumulate in vegetable crops, posing health risks and environmental pollution. Natural plant extracts/botanical pesticides are essential in agriculture because they are cheap and inexpensive. They are safe, do not pose a danger to the environment and therefore have no residual effect on many insect pests. Therefore, Adathoda leaf extract soap formulation of @5 to 7gm /litre was found to be effectively against chilli thrips. This can be included in the IPM package for the management of chilli thrips in future.

Talapala Sai Kumar, T. Elaiyabharathi, A. Suganthi, C. Kavitha and N. Sritharan (2023). Bio efficacy of Adathoda Leaf extract Soap against invasive Thrips Thrips parvispinus (Karny) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Chilli. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(8): 508-510.