Management of mango hopper using entomopathogens

Mango hopper is an important pest of mango in India, causing severe yield losses. Many insecticides have been recommended so far for the management of mango hopper. These inorganic synthetic insecticides have many side effects including resurgence, resistance, residue, etc. Therefore, there is a need to recommend eco-friendly control measures for the management of mango hopper. Experiments were conducted at different mango research centers in different states of India for management of mango hopper with different entomopathogens during 2015-16 to 2017-18. The results revealed that the treatment of five sprays of Metarrhizium anisopliae (oil formulation @ 0.5 ml/l.) supplied by IIHR, Bengaluru was the most effective at Bengaluru and Periyakulam, whereas, the treatment of five sprays of Verticillium lecanii (Commercial product @ 5 gm/l.) was the most effective at Lucknow, Paria and Vengurle.