Evaluation on the effect of mineral nutrition in the management of spotted pod borer Maruca vitrata (Fabricius) and Blue butterfly Lampides boeticus (L) of cowpea

Abstract

Experiments on the effect of mineral nutrients such as K, Mg, Ca, S, Cu, Zn, B and Si in the management of spotted pod borer and blue butterfly pest of cowpea, conducted during two seasons viz., rainy and summer season revealed that the treatment effects in which T12 (NPK+ Ca+Mg+ 3 spray of foliar nutrients) significantly influenced pod borer infestation with minimum percent of infested pods in both seasons (9.9%, 0.0%) over absolute control (41.26%) and control(56.74%) in rainy and summer season respectively. In summer, pod borer incidence was comparatively low and treatments which received nutrient spray were found free of borer infestation. Pod borers per plant exhibited the same trend as that of percentage of pods infested.