Efficacy of PAU homemade neem (Azadirachta indica) extract against Bemisia tabaci on brinjal

Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) is an important solanaceous crop which is highly nutritious and mainly grown in sub-tropical and tropical areas. Sucking pests, especially whitefly, cause significant losses to its yield. Synthetic insecticides are mainly employed for management of whitefly, but risk associated with the environment and human health is unacceptable. So there is need to shift towards plant products especially neem and other safer technologies for its management. Keeping this objective in view, studies were conducted to evaluate efficacy of PAU homemade neem extract in comparison to synthetic insecticide against whitefly on brinjal during 2018 and 2019. PAU homemade neem extract @ 3000 ml/ha was found effective in managing whiteflies with two applications. PAU homemade neem extract proved effective in reducing the whitefly population to the tune of 40–53 per cent. It also resulted in significantly higher yield of 509.18 q/ha. The natural enemies’ abundance was higher in treatments where neem extract was applied, while the lowest population was observed in the diafenthiuron 50WP. PAU homemade neem extract can be used to control whitefly in brinjal, as it is safer for natural enemies in the field and can be easily prepared by farmers.