JAGDISII CHAUDHARY AND RAJENDRA NAGAR

An experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Farm, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, MPUAT, Udaipur during two subsequent rabi seasons 2012-13 and 2013-14 to evaluate the efficacy of seed treatment of wheat with thiomethoxam 7OWS against the shoot feeding insect pests. During both years the shoot feeding pests viz., shoot fly, thrips and aphids were observed in significant numbers in the untreated control. The shoot fly (Atherigona sp.) incidence began in the last week of December that continued until mid-January during both years with the maximum damage of 7 and 9.75 dead hearts/6 m-row in the last week of December during 2012 and 2013, respectively. Thrips were recorded in significant numbers during first week of February with the seasonal mean being 46.89 thrips per filler in 2013, while 54.40 thrips per filler in 2014. Aphids were in significant numbers later in the season with the peak of 184 and 346 aphids per tiller by the second week of March in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Seed treatment of wheat with thiomethoxam 7OWS at 1.5g/kg seed and 1.75g/kg seed was effective in providing safety to the crop from the shoot pests (shoot fly, thrips and aphids) recording lowest damage to the crop. The maximum yield of wheat was obtained from the plots treated with 1.75g thiomethoxam 7OWS (4.38 kg/plot or 36.11 q/ha) during 2012-13; while during 2013-14 from the plots treated with 1.5g thiomethoxam 7OWS (6.37 kg/plot or 52.53 q/ha).