EVALUATION OF TRICHOGRAMMA EVANESCENS PARASITOID AS COMPARED WITH RECOMMENDED FURADAN INSECTICIDE, AGAINST CHILO AGAMEMON BLES. IN RICE FIELD

The egg-parasitoid, Trichogramma evanescens was evaluated as a biological control tool, at rates of 0, 10000, 18000 and 28000 wasp/ fed., compared with Furadan-recommended insecticide in the recom­mended and half-dose 6 and 3 kg/fed., against rice stem borer, Chilo ag­amemnon Bles. In rice fields. The obtained results can be summarized as follows. Trichogramma evanescens parasitoid, plays an effective role, as a biological control agent, against Chilo agamemnon, in rice field. It signifi­cantly decreased insect-total damage % in any of the tested rates, as compared with the check (untreated). The highest rate of parasitiod (28, 000 wasps/fed.) was as highly effective as Furadan - recommended dose (6 kg/fed.), and signficantly was better than Furadan-half dose (3 kg/fed.) in rice stem borer control. The lowest rate of parasitiod or insecticide induced the lowest re­duction in insect total damage % (28.6, 42.0% and 31.2, 42.0%). in both of 1993 and 1994 seasons, respectively. This reduction increased as rate of parasitoid and insecticide increased. It reached 54.5, 60.1% and 59.7, 62.2% as parasitoid and insecticide rate reached 28.000 par­asitoids and 6 kg/fed., in the two years of investigation, respectively. Therefore, Trichogramma evanescens at the rate of 28.000 par­asitiods/fed. can be successfully used against Chilo agamemnon as an effective and safe method better than Furadan as the pest recommend­ed insecticide.