The present investigation was carried out to screen various extracts of Clausena dentata and Dodonea viscosa and cultivated plants like Anacardium occidentale and Nicotiana tobacum. Among the various extracts tested, 5% concentration of extract gave 100% of FDI (Feeding Deterrence Index). Comparing the antifeedent activity of the plants mentioned above, pet ether extracts have D. viscosa (83.4%) and seed oil of A. occidentale (87.4%) showed greater antifeedent activity at 3% concentration.

The investigation was carried out at the Agriculture Research Station, Balajigapade, Chickaballapura district during kharif season 2009. The evaluated biopesticides were NSKE (5%), HaNPV (250 LE/ha), Bt (1kg/ha), neem oil (2%), Panchagavya (3%), Clerodendron + Cow urine extract (10%) and sequential spray of HaNPV-Bt -NSKE, Bt-NSKE-HaNPV and NSKE-HaNPVBt. FYM (9.5 t ha-1) and bio-digester liquid (6,500 l ha-1) were applied to organic plots. Sequential spray of insecticidal spray (Carbaryl-Endosulfan-Malathion) and recommended dose of FYM (7 tha-1), fertilizer (25:50:25 kg NPK ha-1) were applied to inorganic plot. Pod borers viz., Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), Maruca testulalis Geyer, Exelastis atomosa Walshinghan, Sphenarches caffer Zeller, Etiella zinkenella (Treitschke), Lampides boeticus Linnaeus, Adisura atkinsoni Moore emerged as serious pests during cropping period. Sequential spray of insecticides carbarylendosulfan-malathion applied at 45, 55 and 70 DAG, respectively recorded less insect pests abundance. Among biopesticides, sequential application of NSKE-HaNPV-Bt was effective against insect pests. HaNPV was effective against H. armigera larvae, but ineffective to other pod borers. Panchagavya and clerodendron + cow urine extract were ineffective in reducing the pod borer incidence. Among biopesticides treated plots, sequential application of NSKE-HaNPV-Bt recorded higher grain yield (10.01qha-1) whereas, package of practices followed treatment (inorganic plot) recorded 11.37 qha-1 grain.

Various solid substrates like rice bran, wheat bran, gingelly oil cake, coir pith, neem cake were evaluated for the mass multiplication of the fungus, Paecilomyces lilacinus (ITCC 6064). Among the substrates, rice bran recorded the maximum spore count of 4.32x108 spores/ml followed by wheat bran (3.19x108 spores/ml), gingelly oil cake (2.63x108 spores/ml), coir pith (2.44x108 spores/ml) and neem cake (2.16x108 spores/ml)on 28th day after inoculation. There was a gradual decline in spore count from fourth week after inoculation. The fungus mass multiplied in rice bran can be used with an effective spore concentration for a period of one month in the management of insects. Therefore, rice bran serves to be the suitable substrate for the mass multiplication of the entomopathogenic fungus, P. lilacinus.

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of Penconazole 10 EC (NS) against powdery mildew in Urdbean for two seasons at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Lam, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. The experiment was laid out in RBD with three replications. The results showed that penconazole 10 EC (NS) at 1.0 mL/L was found significantly superior followed by penconazole 10 EC (NS) at 0.6 mL/L with low disease incidence of powdery mildew in blackgram. Further, phytotoxicity was not observed in penconazole treated plots even at higher dose in urdbean.