Efficacy of Biopesticides for controlling major pests of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) in Surkhet District, Nepal

Anjal Nainabasti; Sangita Badayak; Bishesh Subedi; Babin Kharel; Binita Bhattarai; Sandip Panth

doi:10.59983/s2024020302

Anjal Nainabasti ¹ , Sangita Badayak ² , Bishesh Subedi ³ , Babin Kharel ⁴ , Binita Bhattarai ⁵ , Sandip Panth ⁶

¹ Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Tribhuwan University, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7432-0291
² Agriculture and Forestry University, Agriculture and Forestry University, Chitwan 44200, Nepal
³ Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Tribhuwan University, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
⁴ Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Tribhuwan University, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
⁵ Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Tribhuwan University, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
⁶ Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Tribhuwan University, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal

✉ Author responsible for correspondence: This information is protected, please see article PDF.

doi 10.59983/s2024020302

Abstract

This study evaluated the efficacy of biopesticides against major insect pests of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) in Lekbeshi, Surkhet, Nepal. A randomized complete block design experiment was conducted with four treatments: Beauveria bassiana (1 ml/L), Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) (2 ml/L), Jholmol (1:5 concentration), and an untreated control. After the third spray, B. bassiana reduced red pumpkin beetle populations from 1.4 to 0.4 insects per plant, while Bt reduced fruit fly populations from 2.8 to 1.6 insects per plant, compared to the control (4.2 to 2.2). At 60 days after transplanting, Bt-treated plants were significantly taller (137.45 cm) than control plants (111.28 cm). Fruit damage was lowest in Bt-treated plots (1.8% and 0.69 kg damage weight) compared to the control (3.8% and 0.69 kg). While yield attributes showed no significant differences, total yield was highest in B. bassiana-treated plots (35.58 t/ha) compared to the control (17.8 t/ha). Economic analysis revealed that B. bassiana treatment had the highest benefit-cost ratio (4.19), followed by Bt (2.9), control (2.8), and Jholmol (2.3). These findings suggest that biopesticides, particularly B. bassiana and Bt, can effectively manage major cucumber pests while improving yield and economic returns, offering a sustainable alternative to chemical pesticides in subtropical regions.

Keywords:

Bacillus thuringiensis, Beauveria bassiana, fruit fly, pumpkin beetle

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