Impact of organic source of nutrients on the incidence of yellow stem borer and leaf folder in rice ecosystem.

Abstract

The study was conducted on rice variety Rajendra Bhagawati to investigate the impact of organic amendments on the Yellow Stem Borer (YSB) and Leaf Folder incidence during the kharif season 2023 at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Bihar. Randomized block design was utilized with Eight treatments to assess the efficacy of various treatments. Insect pest incidence was assessed through field observations of dead heart, white ear head and damaged leaves (rolled and scorched leaf) at specific time intervals after transplanting. The treatment varied between organic, inorganic and organic plus inorganic inputs, where T₅ containing organic inputs (50% residue plus 50% green manure/green leaf manure plus Pusa decomposer) emerged as the most effective. T₅ significantly reduced the pest incidence, showing the lowest mean incidence of YSB (4.29% during the dead heart stage and 4.39 per cent during the white earhead stage), Leaf folder (5.11%), Rice skipper (6.37%) and Gundhi bug. In contrast, the inorganic treatment T₁, which relied entirely on 100 per cent RDF recorded the highest pest incidence, indicating that inorganic inputs alone are less effective at pest suppression. The study found that organic treatments, particularly those involving Pusa decomposer, not only reduced pest population but also helped in improving soil condition.