Effect of natural inputs on Maruca vitrata (Geyer) infesting greengram, Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek

Introduction

Greengram (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) is an important pulse crop cultivated extensively in tropical and subtropical regions owing to its high nutritive value and short duration. It constitutes an important source of dietary protein, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins for a large vegetarian population. India is the largest producer and consumer of greengram; however, productivity of the crop is greatly constrained by several biotic stresses, among which insect pests are of major concern (Nair and Schreinemachers, 2020) [11] . Gujarat is one of the important mung bean-growing states in India. During the normal period (2018-19 to 2022-23), greengram was cultivated on an average area of about 1.39 lakh hectares in the state, contributing nearly 3 percent of the total mung bean area in the country. The average production was 1.03 lakh tonnes, accounting for about 3 percent of national production (Anon Ymous., 2024a) [2] . Among the insect pests infesting greengram, spotted pod borer, Maruca vitrata (Geyer) is one of the most destructive pests causing severe damage during flowering and pod formation stages (Patel and Borad, 2016; Bhuva and Patel, 2022) [13,3] . The larvae web together flowers, buds and pods and feed within the webbed plant parts, resulting in substantial yield losses. Depending upon the intensity of infestation, yield losses may vary considerably under were applied using a high-volume knapsack sprayer fitted with a hollow cone nozzle. The first spray was imposed at the appearance of the pest and subsequent sprays were applied at suitable intervals. Observations on larval population of M. vitrata were recorded on five randomly selected plants per net plot before spraying and at 3, 7 and 9 days after each spray. Seed and haulm yields were recorded on net plot basis and converted into kg ha⁻¹. The data were subjected to statistical analysis after appropriate transformation and treatment means were compared using Duncan's New Multiple Range Test (DNMRT).

Results and Discussion

The periodical observations on larval population of M. vitrata recorded after different sprays revealed significant differences among the treatments. Before spray application, larval population did not differ significantly among treatments, indicating uniform distribution of the pest in all experimental plots.

Second and third sprays

The efficacy pattern observed during the second and third sprays was similar to that recorded after the first spray. NSKE 5% remained the most effective treatment throughout the crop period. Agniastra 4%, Neemastra 100% and Dashparni ark 4% also exhibited appreciable suppression of larval population and remained statistically comparable with NSKE in several observations. Brahmastra 4% recorded moderate effectiveness, while Kalmegh leaf extract 1% and custard apple leaf extract 5% were comparatively less effective. The untreated control plots consistently harboured significantly higher larval populations than all treated plots.

Pooled analysis

The pooled analysis over all sprays clearly indicated that NSKE 5% was the most effective treatment against M. vitrata, recording the lowest larval population (0.94 larva/plant). This treatment was closely followed by Agniastra 4% (0.99 larva/plant), Neemastra 100% (1.04 larva/plant) and Dashparni ark 4% (1.09 larvae/plant). Brahmastra 4% recorded moderate efficacy with 1.81 larvae/plant. Kalmegh leaf extract 1% (1.93 larvae/plant) and custard apple leaf extract 5% (1.84 larvae/plant) were comparatively less effective and remained statistically at par. The untreated control recorded significantly highest larval population (4.93 larvae/plant).

The superior performance of NSKE may be attributed to the presence of azadirachtin and other limonoids, which possess antifeedant, repellent and insect growth regulatory activities against lepidopteran larvae. Similar findings were reported by Oparaeke et al. (2005) [12] and Kumari et al. (2025) [9] , who observed effective suppression of M. vitrata through botanical and plant-derived pest management approaches.

Impact of Natural Inputs on Yield

Significant differences in seed and haulm yield were observed among the treatments. NSKE 5% recorded the highest seed yield (1267 kg/ha) and haulm yield (2508 kg/ha), followed by Agniastra 4% (1226 and 2471 kg/ha, respectively) and Neemastra 100% (1181 and 2458 kg/ha, respectively). The untreated control recorded the lowest seed yield (908 kg/ha) and haulm yield (1851 kg/ha). The increase in seed yield over control ranged from 14.20 to 39.52 percent. The maximum increase in seed yield over control was obtained with NSKE 5% (39.52%), followed by Agniastra 4% (35.10%) and Neemastra 100% (30.05%). The lowest increase was observed with Kalmegh leaf extract 1% (14.20%). Avoidable losses were also minimum in NSKE-treated plots. Similar findings were reported by Ahmed et al. (2020) [1] , Tanzum et al. (2023) [14] and Darji et al. (2025) [5] , who observed reduced infestation of M. vitrata and increased yield following application of ecofriendly pest management inputs.

Conclusion

The present investigation demonstrated that among the various natural inputs evaluated against Maruca vitrata infesting greengram, NSKE 5% proved to be the most effective treatment by recording minimum larval population and maximum seed yield. Agniastra 4%, Neemastra 100% and Dashparni ark 4% were the next promising treatments. Therefore, NSKE 5% can be recommended as an ecofriendly, economical and sustainable component of integrated pest management (IPM) for the management of M. vitrata in greengram under middle Gujarat conditions.

Acknowledgement

AcknowledgementThe authors are thankful to the Department of Entomology, Anand Agricultural University, Anand, Gujarat, for providing necessary facilities and support during the course of investigation.

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