Comparative Evaluation of Integrated Pest Management Modules for Managing Banana Pseudostem Weevil, Odoiporus longicollis Olivier (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Abstract

Banana production is constrained by several biotic and abiotic factors, among which the banana pseudostem weevil (Odoiporus longicollis Olivier) is a destructive insect pest in India. This study compared integrated pest management (IPM) modules for the sustainable management of banana pseudostem weevil under field conditions. A field experiment was conducted during the kharif seasons of 2023 and 2024 in farmers' fields at Hosur village, Hospete Taluk, Vijayanagar district, Karnataka, India, using the 7th and 8th ratoon crops of banana cv. Sugandhi (AAB). Four pest-management modules, namely bio-intensive, integrated, chemi-intensive and recommended package of practices modules, were evaluated in a randomised complete block design with five replications. Among the evaluated modules, the integrated module recorded the lowest damage grade index (0.41), the lowest leaf infestation by Spodoptera litura (1.98%) and Erionota thrax (2.23%), and the fewest active life stages of O. longicollis (3.06). The same module produced the highest yield (43.83 t ha⁻¹), net returns (₹ 5,13,677 ha⁻¹), benefit-cost ratio (4.57), and improved bunch weight, plant height, pseudostem girth and number of functional leaves compared with the other modules. Under the field conditions of the study, the integrated module was the most effective and economically viable option for managing banana pseudostem weevil and associated insect pests.