Comparative Laboratory and Field Bioefficacy of Seven Binary Insecticide Formulations Against a Field Population of Spodoptera frugiperda in Punjab, Pakistan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66529/agripat.2026.2.5.142Keywords:
Spodoptera frugiperda, binary insecticide formulations, bioefficacy, maize, LC50, integrated pest managementAbstract
Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) threatens maize in Pakistan, and growers rely on binary premixed insecticides for which local efficacy data are scarce. We evaluated seven binary formulations against a Sahiwal-derived field population in laboratory bioassays and a field experiment. Third-, fourth- and fifth-instar larvae were exposed to five concentrations (0.25–4× the recommended field rate; three cups of ten larvae per treatment), and mortality was recorded up to 168 h. Field plots (three blocks) were assessed 3, 7 and 14 days after treatment (DAT); blocks and repeated measures were not modeled. Third-instar mortality rose from 22.7% at 0.25× to 77.7% at 4× (partial η² = 0.74–0.78 across instars). LC50 values ranged from 0.86 to 1.74× the recommended rate with overlapping fiducial limits; because exposure route (leaf dip versus diet) is confounded with formulation, no product is ranked as more potent, and LC90 estimates lie beyond the tested range. Pupation of fifth-instar survivors fell from 82.3% (control) to 33–38%. In the field, treated plots had 1.02–1.15 larvae per plant at 14 DAT versus 4.37 in controls (about 73–77% fewer), without differences among formulations when pooled; significant insecticide × concentration interactions make this pooled comparison incomplete. Control mortality (up to 17.7%) and unrecovered field-method details limit interpretation. These results are a local benchmark, not evidence of resistance status, synergism or yield protection.
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The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are not publicly deposited in a repository but are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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