Integrated Pest Management techniques in a Kinnow mandarin ( Blanco) orchard with an emphasis on yield improvement.

Kinnow mandarin ( Blanco) is a valuable fruit crop mainly grown in the North Indian states of India due to its high-quality juice content. Psylla ( Kuwayama), whitefly ( Ashmead), sooty mould () and dieback () pests are the most important biotic constraints affecting its fruit yield up to 70 percent. To manage these pests, farmers often use mixture of non-label claim pesticides (quinalphos 25%EC, lambda-cyhalothrin 2.5%EC, diafenthiuron 50%WP, chlorantraniliprole 18.5 %, cymoxanil 8 % + mancozeb 64 % WP, etc.) without achieving the desired effect. Hence, area-wide implementation of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy in Kinnow mandarin was implemented during 2021-2023 covering 5 villages at Hisar, Haryana. Among the IPM strategy, installing yellow sticky traps @ 20/ha, neem seed kernel extract spray @ 5 %, and imidacloprid 17.8SL @ 0.3 % reduced the whitefly and psylla populations. The spray of 1 % starch and dipping infected fruits in a bleaching solution @ 0.1 % reduced the severity of sooty mould disease. Pruning and destruction of dead twigs followed by a spray of copper oxychloride 50 WP @ 0.3 % were found very effective too. The lowest average population of psylla and whitefly were recorded in T-IPM compared to T-farmer practice and T-control, respectively. Minimum average disease severity of sooty mould and dieback was noticed in T-IPM compared to T-farmer practice while the highest disease severity was recorded in T-control. Population dynamics of psylla, whitefly and sooty mould, dieback severity, and Area Under Diseases Progress Curve (AUDPC) were found to vary during 11th to 52nd standard meteorological week (SMW). They were observed to be highest in T-control treatment, followed by T-farmer practice and T-IPM. The highest natural enemy's populations (Coccinellid, and spider) were recorded in T-control followed by T-IPM, and then in T-farmer practice treatment. The highest average fruit yield and B: C ratio was recorded in T-IPM compared to T-farmer practice and T-control treatment. The validated IPM strategies can be adopted by Kinnow mandarin growing farmers as an economically viable option for the management of psylla, whitefly, sooty mould, and dieback pests.