Management of major insect pests of Ashwagandha, Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal using biorationals and their impact on natural enemies

Introduction

Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal, commonly known as Ashwagandha, Asgandh, Indian ginseng or Indian Winter Cherry, belongs to the family Solanaceae, and is commonly grown as an annual herb (Farooqi et al., 1991) [9] . It is extensively exploited in Indian traditional systems of medicine, Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani for over 3000 years (Sharma et al., 2011) [27] , and widely recognized as Queen of Ayurveda (Widodo et al., 2010) [31] . In India, ashwagandha cultivation spans an estimated 10,780 hectares, with primary production concentrated across the states of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. In Madhya Pradesh alone, it is grown in more than 5,000 ha of area (Kedar et al., 2025) [13] . The pharmacological property of ashwagandha is attributed to the presence of several alkaloids, mainly 'Withanine' (antibacterial and anti-tumor properties) and 'Somniferine'. The paste made from its leaves is used to treat tubercular gland irritation, and of roots is utilized in treating skin conditions, bronchitis, tuberculosis, arthritis and ulcers. Furthermore, the fruits and seeds exhibit distinct diuretic properties (Bhattacharjee, 1998) [2] . Ashwagandha possesses adaptogenic, immune-modulator, rejuvenating, and antistress properties (Chadha, 2001) [4] . It also increases haemoglobin level, recovers anaemia, and reduces the greying of hairs (Kumari et al., 2026) [17] . Ashwagandha is a crucial medicinal crop; however, it is devastated by an array of insect pests. Among these, cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae) (Chaudhary, 2013; Kedar et al., 2024) [5] , brown-winged green stink bug, Plautia crossota (Dallas) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) (Annual report ICFRE, 2011; Kedar et al., 2024) [1,12] , fruit borer, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and hadda beetle, Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) (Kumar et al., 2009; Chaudhary, 2013; Kedar et al., 2024) [15,5,12] are the major insect pests attacking Ashwagandha. Furthermore, several natural enemies of these insect pests have been documented in association with ashwagandha, prominent among which is the six-spotted zigzag ladybird beetle, Cheilomenes sexmaculata (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) (Kedar et al., 2024) [12] . Infestation by these insect pests results in extensive defoliation and arrested plant growth, negatively influencing both the yield and quality of therapeutic phytochemicals of Ashwagandha. Considering its commercial value and medicinal significance, implementing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices is imperative to mitigate pest pressure while ensuring sustainable production.

Although chemical intervention has historically been utilized for insect pest suppression, its deployment on medicinal crops like Ashwagandha is strictly limited due to the risks of persistent chemical residues, ecological degradation, non-target toxicity, and the acceleration of pest resistance. Because ashwagandha derivatives such as foliage and root powders are directly consumed for therapeutic purposes, synthetic pesticide residues severely compromise the safety, quality, and regulatory compliance of raw herbal materials. Consequently, the rapid expansion of the pharmaceutical industry demands an immediate shift towards eco-friendly alternatives. The integration of organic and biorational inputs should be preferred viz., botanical extracts (e.g. Datura and tobacco leaf extracts) and biodynamic products (Cow-based by-products i.e., Brahmastra, Neemastra, Agniastra, etc.) as they offer a cost-effective, sustainable, and residuefree strategy to mitigate yield losses while aligning with increasing global food safety and environmental standards.

Materials and Methods

Site of experiment:

The experiment was conducted at the field of All India Coordinated Research Project (Medicinal, Aromatic Plants and Betel vine) of Department of Plant Physiology, Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur during Rabi, 2024-25 and Rabi, 2025-26.

Layout and design of Experiment:

The field experiment was laid out in a simple randomized block design (RBD), the variety being Jawahar Ashwagandha 20 (JA-20), with seven treatments and each replicated thrice in the plot of size 3 m x 3 m keeping row to row and plant to plant spacing of 30 cm and 20 cm, respectively. The details of treatments along with their doses (in Litre or Kg per hectare) are as follows: T 1 -5% v/v Neem oil (25), T 2 -5% w/v Datura leaf extract (25), T 3 -5% w/v Tobacco leaf extract (25), T 4 -3% w/v Neemastra (15), T 5 -3% w/v Brahmastra (15), T 6 -3% w/v Agniastra (15), and T 7 -Untreated control.

Methodology of preparation of biorationals

Following the recommendations of NITI Aayog [20] and Nayak (2022) [19] , the treatment doses were established, and the botanical and biodynamic preparations were executed using the methodology described below: 1.

2. Neemastra -5 L of cow urine, 1 kg of cow dung, and 5 kg of fine neem leaf paste were dissolved in 100 L of water within a drum. The solution was agitated clockwise using a wooden rod, covered with a gunny bag, and kept in shade for 48 hours to prevent exposure to sunlight and rain. During the two-day period, the mixture was stirred clockwise every morning and evening before final filtration through a muslin cloth.

3. Brahmastra -20 L of cow urine and 2 kg each of fine leaf pastes from neem, karanj, custard apple, and datura were boiled for 15 min in an aluminium vessel. The mixture was stirred in a clockwise direction, covered with a lid, and allowed to cool. After 48 h, it was filtered through a muslin cloth and stored in a plastic container under shade.

4. Agniastra -A formulation was prepared by combining 20 L of cow urine, 2 kg each of neem leaf paste and tobacco powder, 500 g of chilli paste, 250 g of garlic paste, and 200 g of turmeric powder into 200 L of water in a plastic drum. The mixture was boiled for 30 min, filtered through a muslin cloth, and stored in a plastic drum under shade for future application.

Spray schedule

The initial spray was applied when the pest populations were sufficiently established. Subsequent second and third applications were administered at 21-day intervals using a knapsack sprayer (Kumari, 2022) [16] .

2.5. Observations: Pre-treatment observations of major insect pests and natural enemies were recorded one day before spray and posttreatment observations were taken at 3, 7 and 14 days after each spray on ten randomly selected plants per plot/treatment (Vinyas et al., 2022) [30] . In case of cotton aphids, the population was recorded by counting the number of nymphs and adults/six leaves/plant i.e., 2 leaves from each top, middle and bottom of randomly selected plants (Chouhan, 2021) [7] . For the observation of hadda beetles (grubs and adults) (Yadav et al., 2017) [32] , brown-winged green stink bugs (nymphs and adults) (Parija et al., 2023) [21] , fruit borers (caterpillars) (Chopade et al., 2020) [6] and zig-zag ladybirds (grubs and adults) (Pradhan et al., 2020) [23] , the plants were selected randomly and population was recorded on per plant basis. After harvest, root yield of ashwagandha was recorded treatment-wise and subsequently converted to a per-hectare equivalent. The bio-efficacy of the biorationals and the economics of each treatment were then calculated.

Interpretation of data

Bio-efficacy of the treatments was computed and the cost-benefit ratio of all the treatments was worked out as suggested by Gomez et al. (1984) [10] . The percent reduction in insect population over the untreated control was determined for each treatment using the Henderson et al. (1955) [11] corrected reduction method as follows:

where, T a = insect population in treated plot after treatment T b = insect population in treated plot before treatment C a = insect population in untreated control after treatment C b = insect population in untreated control before treatment Population counts of insect pests and natural enemies were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) following square root transformation (√𝑥 + 0.5 ). Percentage data for reduction over control (ROC) were normalized using angular (arc-sine) transformation. To determine the significance of the biorational treatments, Duncan's Multiple Range Test (DMRT) was applied as described by Thumar et al.

Results

The effectiveness of different biorationals against insect pest populations was evaluated under field conditions by comparing the treatments on the basis of percent reduction in pest populations at different intervals after spraying. A total of three sprays were administered on the crop during Rabi, 2024-25 and Rabi, 2025-26. Initial pre-treatment observations identified cotton aphid and hadda beetle as the primary insect pests. Prior to the second application, the major pests included cotton aphid, hadda beetle, brown-winged green stink bug and fruit borer. During the pre-treatment observation of the third application, only brown-winged green stink bug and fruit borer persisted as major insect pests. The impact of biorationals on natural enemies (mainly the six-spotted zigzag ladybird beetle) of insect pests on Ashwagandha was monitored during all three sprays.

Bio-efficacy of biorationals against cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii) on Ashwagandha

The pooled data (Rabi, 2024-25 and Rabi, 2025-26) of the overall mean of two sprays (1 st and 2 nd sprays) presented in Table 1 and Fig. 6 revealed that all the biorational treatments were found significantly superior than untreated control against cotton aphids (nymphs and adults) (Fig. 1). Among the treatments, Neem oil (5% v/v) (T 1 ) was significantly proved to be the most effective, recording the lowest population of cotton aphids (61.85 aphids/six leaves/plant), and it was significantly at par with Brahmastra (3% w/v) (T 5 ) (70.32 aphids/six leaves/plant) which was further at par with Agniastra (3% w/v) (T 6 ), Tobacco leaf extract (5% w/v) (T 3 ), Neemastra (3% w/v) (T 4 ) and Datura leaf ex tract (T 2 ) with 77.54, 85.32, 93.11 and 100.01 aphids/six leaves/plant, respectively. Whereas, the highest aphid population was recorded in the untreated control (T 7 ) with 146.18 aphids/six leaves/plant. The maximum percent reduction in aphid population was recorded in T 1 -Neem oil (59.06 %) over the untreated control, followed by T 5 -Brahmastra (52.82 %), T 6 -Agniastra (47.81 %), T 3 -Tobacco leaf extract (41.95 %), T 4 -Neemastra (36.00 %) and T 2 -Datura leaf extract (31.16 %). All the biorational treatments were found to be significantly different from each other.

Bio-efficacy of biorationals against hadda beetle (Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata) on Ashwagandha

As shown in Table 2 and Fig. 7, the pooled data of the overall mean of two sprays (1 st and 2 nd sprays) across Rabi, 2024-25 and Rabi, 2025-26 depicted that all biorational treatments were significantly more effective against hadda beetles (grubs and adults) (Fig. 2) than the untreated control. Among the treatments, Agniastra (3% w/v) (T 6 ) was significantly found to be the most effective, recording the lowest population of hadda beetles (1.36 beetles/plant), and it was significantly at par with Neem oil (5% v/v) (T 1 ) (1.52 beetles/plant) which was further at par with Tobacco leaf extract (5% w/v) (T 3 ), Brahmastra (3% w/v) (T 5 ), Neemastra (3% w/v) (T 4 ) and Datura leaf extract (T 2 ) with 1.70, 1.84, 1.97 and 2.06 beetles/plant, respectively. Whereas, the highest population was recorded in the untreated control (T 7 ) with 3.16 beetles/plant. The maximum percent reduction in hadda beetle population was recorded in T 6 -Agniastra (56.14 %) over the untreated control, followed by T 1 -Neem oil (50.46 %), T 3 -Tobacco leaf extract (45.81 %), T 5 -Brahmastra (40.56 %), T 4 -Neemastra (37.18 %) and T 2 -Datura leaf extract (33.62 %). A statistically significant difference was observed among the biorational treatments in their efficacy.

Bio-efficacy of biorationals against brown-winged green stink bug (Plautia crossota) on Ashwagandha

The pooled data (Rabi, 2024-25 and Rabi, 2025-26) representing the overall mean of 2 nd and 3 rd sprays (presented in Table 3 and Fig. 8) showed that every biorational treatment performed significantly better than the untreated control in managing brown-winged green stink bugs (nymphs and adults) (Fig. 3). Among the treatments, Agniastra (3% w/v) (T 6 ) was significantly proved to be the most effective, recording the lowest population of stink bugs (1.84 bugs/plant), and it was significantly at par with Neem oil (5% v/v) (T 1 ) (2.03 bugs/plant) which was further at par with Brahmastra (3% w/v) (T 5 ), Tobacco leaf extract (5% w/v) (T 3 ), Neemastra (3% w/v) (T 4 ) and Datura leaf extract (T 2 ) with 2.21, 2.41, 2.59 and 2.78 bugs/plant, respectively. Whereas, the highest stink bug population was recorded in the untreated control (T 7 ) with 4.16 bugs/plant. The maximum percent reduction in bug population was observed in T 6 -Agniastra (53.92 %) over the untreated control, followed by T 1 -Neem oil (49.62 %), T 5 -Brahmastra (45.81 %), T 3 -Tobacco leaf extract (41.25 %), T 4 -Neemastra (36.94 %) and T 2 -Datura leaf extract (33.08 %). All the biorational treatments were found to be significantly different from each other.

Bio-efficacy of biorationals against fruit borer (Helicoverpa armigera) on Ashwagandha

The analysis of the pooled data (Rabi, 2024-25 and Rabi, 2025-26) of the overall mean of two sprays (2 nd and 3 rd sprays) presented in Table 4 and Fig. 9 revealed that all the biorational treatments were found significantly superior than untreated control against fruit borers (caterpillars) (Fig. 4). Among the treatments, Agniastra (3% w/v) (T 6 ) was significantly found to be the most effective, recording the lowest population of fruit borers (1.08 borers/plant), and it was significantly at par with Brahmastra (3% w/v) (T 5 ) (1.22 borers/plant) which was further at par with Neem oil (5% v/v) (T 1 ), Tobacco leaf extract (5% w/v) (T 3 ), Neemastra (3% w/v) (T 4 ) and Datura leaf extract (T 2 ) with 1.37, 1.47, 1.58 and 1.70 borers/plant, respectively. Whereas, the highest population was recorded in the untreated control (T 7 ) with 2.46 borers/plant. The maximum percent reduction in fruit borer population was recorded in T 6 -Agniastra (54.45 %) over the untreated control, followed by T 5 -Brahmastra (49.89 %), T 1 -Neem oil (44.40 %), T 3 -Tobacco leaf extract (39.88 %), T 4 -Neemastra (34.81 %) and T 2 -Datura leaf extract (30.54 %). A statistically significant difference was observed among the biorational treatments in their efficacy.

Impact of biorationals on natural enemies (sixspotted zigzag ladybird beetle, Cheilomenes sexmaculata) of insect pests on Ashwagandha

The pooled data (Rabi, 2024-25 and Rabi, 2025-26) of overall mean of all three sprays presented in Table 5 and Fig. 10 depicted that the population of ladybird beetle (Fig. 5) was evenly distributed in the field and ranged from 4.03 to 4.17 grub and adult/plant which was found to be statistically non-significant difference among the different biorational treatments.

Bio-efficacy of biorationals on root yield of Ashwagandha

In the present investigation (Table 6 and Fig. 11), all the plots treated with biorationals gave significantly higher root yield over T 7 -untreated control (3.01 q/ ha). The maximum root yield was obtained in T 6 -Agniastra (3% w/v) (7.21 q/ ha), followed by T 1 -Neem oil (5% v/v) (7.10 q/ ha), T 5 -Brahmastra (3% w/v) (6.24 q/ ha), T 3 -Tobacco leaf extract (5% w/v) (5.14 q/ ha), T 4 -Neemastra (3% w/v) (4.87 q/ ha), and T 2 -Datura leaf extract (5% w/v) (3.92 q/ ha). All the biorational treatments were found to be significantly different from each other. The pooled data presented in Table 6 showed that the highest increase in yield over control was recorded in Agniastra (4.20 q/ ha), followed by Neem oil (4.09 q/ ha) and Brahmastra (3.23 q/ ha). The next highest yield increases were in Tobacco leaf extract (2.13 q/ ha) and Neemastra (1.86 q/ ha). The lowest yield increase was recorded in Datura leaf extract (0.92 q/ ha). The data presented in Table 6 and Fig. 12 clearly showed that among the different biorational treatments, the maximum net return of 1,19,806 ₹/ha was obtained in Agniastra, followed by Neem oil (1,06,194 ₹/ha), Brahmastra (85,828 ₹/ha), Tobacco leaf extract (56,928 ₹/ha), and Neemastra (49,867 ₹/ha), whereas minimum was in Datura leaf extract (21,198 ₹/ha). Although, the highest incremen-tal cost-benefit ratio (ICBR) was observed in Agniastra (1:19.50), followed by Neemastra (1:8.27), Tobacco leaf extract (1:8.17), Brahmastra (1:7.68), Neem oil (1:6.43), and the lowest ratio was found in Datura leaf extract (1:3.39).

Discussion

All the treatments were found significantly more effective than untreated control. Among different treatments, Neem oil was found to be most effective against cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover, followed by Brahmastra and Agniastra. The results of the present study are in accordance with the findings of Ranila et al. (2020) [25] who observed that neem oil (0.3%) managed the aphid, A. gossypii on coriander effectively. Similarly, Borad et al. (2019) [3] evaluated different botanicals, among which Neem oil was found most effective against aphid (Aphis craccivora Koch) on cowpea. In addition, Patel et al. (2017) [22] reported that Brahmastra (20 %) was found highly effective in suppressing the sucking pests of cotton viz., aphid (A. gossypii), followed by Agniastra and Neemastra at 20 %. Among the different botanical treatments, Agniastra was found to be most effective against hadda beetle, Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata (Fabricius), followed by Neem oil and Tobacco leaf extract. In support of the present findings, Kumari et al. (2026) [17] recently found the effectiveness of azadirachtin 0.03 EC, followed by Neem oil and NSKE 5% against hadda beetle, H. vigintioctopunctata. Similarly, Rajendran et al. (1998) [24] examined that Neem oil (4%) reduced the the fecundity of H. vigintioctopunctata on brinjal by 62.8 % over control. In addition, Kodandaram et al. (2014) [14] found that neem oil was the most effective treatment for controlling hadda beetle on vegetable cowpea. In the present study, Agniastra was found to be most effective against brown-winged green stink bug, Plautia crossota (Dallas), followed by Neem oil and Brahmastra. The findings of this study closely align with those of Lozano et al. (2024) [18] , who demonstrated that botanical formulations derived from garlic (Natualho®), neem (azadirachtin), and various Piperaceae species disrupt feeding behaviors, stunt growth, and inhibit reproduction in stink bugs. In case of fruit borer, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), Agniastra was found to be most effective, followed by Brahmastra and Neem oil. In support to the present findings, Rehaman et al. (2016) [26] depicted that the highest mean per cent reduction of H. armigera infestation on fruits of ashwagandha was recorded with Ha NPV @ 250 LE, which was on par with nimbicidine @ 3ml/L, followed by NSKE 5 % and neem oil 5 ml/L over control. All the treatments were found to be safe for natural enemies. The highest yield was observed in Agniastra, followed by Neem oil and Brahmastra. The highest incremental cost-benefit ratio was observed in Agniastra, followed by Neemastra, Tobacco leaf extract, Brahmastra, Neem oil, and Datura leaf extract. Present findings are in accordance with Subha et al. (2025) [28] who found that all biodynamics and botanicals were safe on natural enemies of insect pests as they were statistically non-significant over control, and also revealed that the maximum yield of summer green gram was recorded in Neem oil 5%, followed by NSKE 5% and Brahmastra 5%, although the highest cost-benefit ratio was found in Brahmastra 5% (1:8.34), followed by Agniastra 5% (1:7.18) and Neemastra 5% (1:6.03). Similar findings have been reported by Nayak (2022) [19] who observed that the highest yield of black gram was obtained from the plots treated with NSKE 5%, followed by Neem oil and Brahmastra, whereas Brahmastra was found to have highest ICBR. In addition, Dubey (2024) [8] also revealed that all the biodynamic treatments were found safe for natural enemies on the mustard crop, and the highest yield increases and cost-benefit ratio were observed in Agneyastra @ 60 ml/litre, followed by Dasparni ark @ 60 ml/litre and Brahmastra @ 60 ml/litre.

Conclusion

The bio-efficacy of different botanicals revealed that among the treatments, Neem oil was found to be most effective against cotton aphid, whereas Agniastra was found to be most effective against hadda beetle, brown-winged green stink bug and fruit borer. All the treatments were found effective and safe for natural enemies (ladybird beetles), proving their compatibility with eco-friendly pest management. The highest yield increases were observed in Agniastra (4.20 q/ ha), followed by Neem oil (4.09 q/ ha), Brahmastra (3.23 q/ ha), Tobacco leaf extract (2.13 q/ ha) and Neemastra (1.86 q/ ha), while the lowest yield increase was recorded in Datura leaf extract (0.92 q/ ha). The highest incremental cost-benefit ratio (ICBR) was observed in Agniastra (1:19.50), followed by Neemastra (1:8.27), Tobacco leaf extract (1:8.17), Brahmastra (1:7.68), Neem oil (1:6.43), and the lowest ratio was found in Datura leaf extract (1:3.39). The present study revealed that the botanical-based management approach on Ashwagandha resulted in strategic pest management as farmers can deploy Neem oil for targeted control of aphid outbreaks, and switch to Agniastra as a powerful broad-spectrum solution for complex infestations (stink bugs, borers, and beetles). It optimized both productivity and profitability by providing a massive cost-tobenefit return alongside high yield increase, ensuring farmers get maximum financial returns for a low input cost. Unlike synthetic chemical pesticides, all tested botanicals were found safe for ladybird beetles which preserves local biodiversity and allows natural predators to continue controlling pests biologically. Also, utilizing natural extracts and bio-dynamic products is highly beneficial for Ashwagandha, as it is a high-value medicinal plant where purity should be strictly monitored for pharmaceutical and export markets.

Acknowledgement

AcknowledgementsThe authors gratefully acknowledge the Heads of the Department of Entomology at both the College of Agriculture, RVSKVV, Gwalior, and the College of Agriculture, JNKVV, Jabalpur, for providing the essential facilities, guidance, and support during this research.

References

1. Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education. Annual report. Dehradun (Uttarakhand), India; 2011. p 152.
2. Bhattacharjee SK. Hand book of medicinal plants. Pointer Publishers, Jaipur; 1998. p 377-378.
3. Borad MG, Patel HP, Patel NK, Borad PK. Bio-efficacy of different botanicals against aphid, Aphis craccivora Koch infesting cowpea Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. International Journal of Chemical Studies. 2019;7(6):2730-2736.
4. Chadha KL. Handbook of Horticulture. Directorate of information and Publication of Agriculture, ICAR, New Delhi; 2001. p 583.
5. Chaudhary V. Arthropods associated with ashwagandha, (Withania somnifera Dunal) in semi-arid region of Gujarat. Karnataka Journal of Agricultural Sciences. 2013;26(3):433-435.
6. Chopade BJ, Mehendale SK, Narangalkar AL, Desai VS, Sapkal SD. Seasonal incidence of pod borer complex of pigeon pea, (Cajanus cajan (L.) Mill Sp.). Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies. 2020;8(5):1041-1047.
7. Chouhan B. To study the seasonal incidence and screening of different genotypes of field pea against major insect pests. M.Sc. Thesis, JNKVV, Jabalpur; 2021.
8. Dubey A. Studies on Succession and Population Dynamics of Major Insect Pest Complex in Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea L.) and their Management with Biodynamics. M.Sc. Thesis, JNKVV, Jabalpur; 2024.
9. Farooqi AA, Khan MM. Cultivation practices for medicinal and aromatic crops. Division of Horticulture, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore; 1991. p 77.
10. Gomez AK, Gomez AA. Statistical procedure for agricultural research. 2nd Edition Wiley, New York; 1984. p 207-215.
11. Henderson CF, Tilton EW. Tests with acaricides against the brown wheat mite. Journal of Economic Entomology. 1955;48(2):157161.
12. Kedar SC, Annamalai M, Joshi S, Navik O, Kumaranag KM, Shashank PR. Arthropods pest complex and associated natural enemies across different phenological growth stages of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal) in India: Insights for developing integrated pest management strategies for sustainable production. Journal of Applied Research on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants. 2024;43:100590.
13. Kedar SC, Navik O, Kumaranag KM. Integrated Management of Hadda Beetle in Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera): A Sustainable Approach. Indian Horticulture. 2025;70(3):46-48.
14. Kodandarm MH, Haldar J, Rai AB. New insecticides molecules and entomopathogens against hadda beetle, Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata (Fab.) infesting vegetable cowpea. Indian Journal of Plant Protection. 2014;42:333-337.
15. Kumar A, Singh CP, Pandey R. Influence of environmental factors on population buildup of Helicoverpa armigera and Epilachna vigintioctopunctata on Ashwagandha. Journal of Entomological Research. 2009;33(2):123-129.
16. Kumari N. Population Dynamics and Management of Hadda Beetle, Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata (Fab.) on Indian Ginseng, Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal. M.Sc. Thesis, Sri Karan Narendra Agriculture University, Jobner. 2022.
17. Kumari N, Kumawat KC, Choudhary N. Efficacy of biopesticides and botanicals against hadda beetle (Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata Fab.) on Indian ginseng. Journal of AgriSearch. 2026;13(1):54-59.
18. Lozano ER, Potrich M, Battisti L, Abati R. Botanical insecticides as an alternative to control stink bugs in agriculture. In Stink Bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) Research and Management. 2024:95-116.
19. M.Sc. Thesis, JNKVV, Jabalpur. 2022.
20. Parija S, Biswal L. Seasonal incidence of insect-pests and predatory fauna on toria (Brassica rapa) in west central tableland of Odisha, India. International Journal of Environment and Climate Change. 2023;13(11):231-240.
21. Patel RD, Bharpoda TM, Borad PK, Bhatt NA, Mahida RD. Efficacy of different bio-pesticides against sucking pests of Bt cotton. AGRES -An International e-Journal. 2017;6(1):171-180.
22. Pradhan PP, Borkakati RN, Saikia DK. Seasonal incidence of insect pests and natural enemies of mustard in relation to meteorological parameters. Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies. 2020;8(1):1538-1542.
23. Rajendran B, Gopalan M. Screening and grading of Brinjal (Solarium melongena) accessions for resistance to spotted beetle (Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata). Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences. 1998;68:224-225.
24. Ranila A, Borad PK, Kanani MK. Bioefficacy of botanicals and microbial insecticides against aphid, Aphis gossypii on coriander. Indian Journal of Plant Protection. 2020;44(1).
25. Rehaman SK, Pradeep S. Effect of biopesticides on management of Helicoverpa armigera in Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera Linn.). Pest Management in Horticultural Ecosystems. 2016;22(1):99-102.
26. Sharma V, Sharma S, Pracheta, Paliwal R. Withania somnifera: A Rejuvenating Ayurvedic Medicinal Herb for the Treatment of various Human ailments. International Journal of PharmTech Research. 2011;3(1):187-192.
27. Subha B, Marabi RS, Das SB, Chaukikar K, Gupta V. Bio-efficacy of biodynamics and botanicals against major insect pests of summer green gram and their impact on natural enemies. International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research. 2025;9(9):263-266.
28. Thumar RK, Zala MB, Varma HS, Dhobi CB, Patel BN, Patel MB, Board PK. Evaluation of insecticides against fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) infesting maize. International Journal of Chemical Studies. 2020;8(4):100-104.
29. Vinyas SN, Neharkar PS, Matre YB. Eco-friendly management of major insect pests of mustard (Brassica juncea L.). Biological Forum -An International Journal. 2022;14(3):1577-1581.
30. Widodo N, Priyandoko D, Shah N, Wadhwa R, Sunil C, Kaul. Selective Killing of Cancer Cells by Ashwagandha Leaf Extract and Its Component Withanone Involves ROS Signaling. PLoS ONE. 2010;5(10):e13536.
31. Yadav G, Mahla MK, Chhangani G, Ahir KC, Dangi NL. Seasonal incidence and eco-friendly management of red pumpkin beetle of bottle gourd. Indian Journal of Applied Entomology. 2017;31(2):98-103.