Comparative Efficacy of Seed Treatments against Early-Season Sucking Insect Pests of Sesame (Sesamum Indicum L.)

Abstract

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is a conventional oilseed crop and is known as the queen of oilseeds. The objective of the study was to evaluate different seed treatments against sucking insect pests of sesame, aiming to protect the crop during its early growth stages from pest infestation. Sesame crop (TH-6) was sown at the farm area of the Entomological Research Institute, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad (31.4049,73.0504), during 2024-25. The seeds were treated with five seed treatments viz. Imidacloprid + Tebuconazole 372.5 FS, Azoxystrobin + Clothianidin 62.5 WS, Tetraniliprole 480FS, Fipronil 5%FS, Thiamethoxam 350FS and one control (no treatment) at the time of the sowing. The results revealed that Fipronil 5% FS was the most effective (85.49%, 81.94%, 85.49%, and 76.52% at 10, 20, 30, and 40 DAG, respectively) in reducing mirid bug infestation. At the same time, in case of whitefly, excellent performance of Imidachloprid+Tebuconazole372.5 FS was observed (87.08%, 82.54%, 80.42%, and 76.33% after 10, 20, 30, and 40 DAG, respectively) during the period of the study. Similarly, Imidachloprid+Tebuconazole372.5FS showed maximum population reduction 86.89% at 10 DAG in Jassid population, while thiamethoxam 350 FS showed relatively higher effectiveness (77.97% at 40 DAG) at later stages.  The least population reduction of mirid bugs was observed with Azoxystrobin + clothianidin 62.5WS, whereas Tetraniliprole 480FS was least effective against whitefly and Jassid. Overall, these findings suggest that seed treatments with Fipronil 5% FS and imidacloprid + tebuconazole 372.5 FS may be suitable components of integrated pest management for the control of early-stage sucking insect pests.