TOXICITY OF CARBOSULFAN (MARSHAL 25 AN (MARSHAL 25® EC) TO NATURAL ENEMIES IN BRINJAL ECOSYSTEM

Abstract

Carbosulfan, a relatively new carbamate chemical is widely used in brinjal ecosystem owing his acclaim in managing shoot and fruit borer and sucking pests of brinjal. For integrating in IPM concepts, the toxicity/safety of carbosulfan to natural enemies viz., chrysopids, coccinellids and spiders in brinjal ecosystem should be identified. A field experiment conducted to assess the level of toxicity of carbosulfan (Marshal® 25 EC) at three different doses viz., 250, 500 and 1000 g a.i ha-1 revealed the reduction in the population of coccinellids (64 to 82.5 per cent), chrysopids (46.53 to 57.14 per cent) and spiders (33 to 71 per cent) first day after the spray indicating the toxicity of the chemical. However, the population rebounds to original number 14 days after the spray at the lowest dose (250 g a.i ha-1) of carbosulfan. Hence the chemical is fairly harmless at the recommended dose and unsafe at higher doses.