DefinePK

Abstract

Vegetable growers in peri-urban centres of Dar es Salaam use various types of insecticides to control vegetable pests.However, some farmers recently complained of the ineffectiveness of some of the currently traded insecticides such thatworries on possible resistance by target pests or rampancy of counterfeit pesticides in the market had become a growingconcern by scientists. The present study was undertaken to determine the most grown vegetable and the commonly usedinsecticides upon which the effectiveness of the later was tested against major pests. Chinese cabbage, Brassica rapa subsp.pekinensis and eggplant, Solanum melongena were the main vegetable grown hence used for experiments at Malolo Center inin Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with threereplications and four treatments applied at three-week interval. The insecticides tested were: Duduba 450EC (Cypermethrin10% + Chlorpyrifos 35%), Septer (Imidacloprid 200 g/l) and Ninja 5EC (Lambdacyhalothrin 50 g/l) alongside with a control(unsprayed). The results showed that Duduba 450 EC applied at the rate of 2 ml/l of water, Septer at the rate of 1 ml/l of water,and Ninja 5EC at the rate of 2.5 ml/l of water, caused significant reduction in larval population of P. xylostella. Equalprotection against hairy caterpillars on leaves of B. rapa and S. melongena was recorded. Obtained yield of Chinese cabbagewas 8.6 t ha-1, 6.7 t ha-1 and 4.6 t ha-1from plots treated with Duduba 450EC, Septer and Ninja 5EC respectively. The recorded eggplant yield (fruits) was 6.7 t ha-1, 5.9 t ha-1 and 5.7 t ha-1 in plots treated with Septer, Duduba 450EC and Ninja 5ECrespectively. The study recommended the use of Duduba 450EC and Septer for effective control of P. xylostella on B. rapaand hairy caterpillar on S. melongena. © 2021 Department of Agricultural Sciences, AIOU