Effect of net house and mulching on insect pest incidence of tomato in Rampur, Chitwan

Abstract

Accepted: 25 Dec. 2020 A field experiment was conducted in a single factor randomized complete block designed to evaluate the effect of net house and mulching on insect pest incidence of tomatoes in Chitwan, Nepal from October 2016 to May 2017. Five different treatments were selected with four replications, included net house with black polythene mulch, black polythene mulching only, reflective polythene mulching only and black polythene mulching with emamectin benzoate 5% SG spray and control (no mulch+ no net + no pesticide spray). The production of crops in the open fields is constrained by major pests like Tuta absoluta and tomato fruit borer. The result revealed that the net house totally restricts the tomato fruit borer and Tuta absoluta whereas black mulching with emamectin benzoate spray plot reduced tomato fruit borer and Tuta absoluta larvae up to 69% and 59%. Total marketable yield was found the highest inside net house 47.74% higher than that of control plot. Damage fruit percent was found the highest in the control plot (28.36%) followed by reflective polythene mulching (21.48%) and black polythene mulching only (18.41%) and the lowest inside the net house (6.04%). Net profit was found maximum inside the net house (Rs1626632.88 ha) followed by black polythene with emamectin benzoate (Rs1141741.56 ha) and the lowest in the control plot (Rs760277.00 ha). Although the investment level found to be the highest in the case of the net houses in long term, higher income can be acquired as it acts as suitable means to control insect pests.