B.H. PATEL, P.H. GODHANI AND D.M. KORAT

The efficacy of Biosoft (a commercial preparation of Beauveria bassiana) was evaluated at three different doses (30, 40 and 50 g/10 lit. water) against diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) infesting cabbage on farmer’s field in Anand district of Gujarat during 2007-08 and 2008-09. Biosoft (2 × 108 cfu / g) at higher and medium doses effectively reduced the larval population of P. xylostella. Minimum incidence of the pest was found in the plots treated with (50 g/10 lit. water) of Biosoft followed by Bacillus thuringiensis (10 g/10 lit. water) and Biosoft applied @ 40 g/10 lit water. Maximum (564 q/ha) yield of cabbage heads was harvested from the plots sprayed with Biosoft (50 g/10 lit. water) followed by Bt and the medium dose of Biosoft. In terms of yield, medium and lower doses of Biosoft proved equally effective to quinalphos (0.05%). Biosoft did not show any adverse effect on the activity of Apanteles plutellae Kurd., a potential larval parasitoid of the pest indicating its safer properties to biocontrol agents.