Efficacy of Some Biorational Approaches against Two-Spotted Spider Mite (Tetranychus urticae Koch) in Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia L.)

Aims: The aim of the study was to test the effectiveness of several biorational techniques against two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch. in bitter gourd.

Study Design: The study used a single component Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications.

Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was conducted at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University's central farm in Dhaka, Bangladesh from March 2021 to July 2021.

Methodology: The study included seven treatments. T1= Spinomax (0.4ml/L water); T2= Neem Oil (5ml/L water); T3= Biomax (1.2ml/L water); T4= Ripcord (1ml/L water); T5= Trichoderma spp (200mg/L water); T6= Mehogany Leaf Extract (200mg/L water); T7= Absolute (Control). All the treatments were applied at 15 days interval.

Results: Treatments for mite infestations showed varying responses in experiments with various biorational control techniques. Trichoderma spp. had the highest results, followed by neem oil, which was effective against mite pests infesting bitter gourd. The results showed that when Trichoderma spp. was used to treat leaf infestation, the total number of fruit set, % healthy fruit, and % infested fruit were all greater. Ripcord had the lowest outcomes against mite pests in most circumstances, with the exception of control treatment.

Conclusion: It can be concluded that Trichoderma spp. @200mg/L of water can be used to treat two spotted spider mites in an environmentally acceptable manner.