Abstract:
This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of insecticides and the mixture of Neem kernel extract
with wood ash and omo soap powder and mixture of Neem leaf extract with wood ash and omo soap
powder products on flea beetle (podagrica spp) and associated with four okra varieties. Two
insecticides Byiraban 40% EC and Diaznon 40% CFR, mixture of Neem kernel extract and Neem leaf
extract with wood ash and omo soap powder and control (without insecticides) treatments
randomized with four okra varieties, Clemson variety (V1), Sahari variety (V2), Madison variety (V3)
and Bhindu variety (V4) on field experiments were conducted at Gambella Agricultural Research
Institute (GARI), Abobo site, Two treatments were applied with (400gm/6L of water); and control
(without insecticides). The experimental set up was a Randomized Complete Block design (RCBD)
with three replications. Studied characters, days of insect pest emergence, number of insect pest per
plant, number of pods per plant, pod length (cm), plant height (cm), fruit damage score (%), weight of
young fruit pods per plot (kg) and weight of young fruit pods tone per hectare (ton). Yield parameters
data collected were number of fruits and fruit weight. Results obtained showed that the Diaznone and
Byiraban exhibited effectiveness in reducing the insect population and improved okra fruit yield
compared to mixture of Neem kernel extract with wood ash and omo soap powder and mixture of
Neem leaf extract with wood ash and omo soap powder. The best fruit yield was attained by
combining Diaznon treatment (T5) with Bhindu okra variety (V4) 51.713 (tph), the lowest result in the
experiment was Madison okra variety (V3) combining with control (without insecticides) 35.920
(tph). The highest insect pest recorded on the four okra varieties Sahari okra variety (2) (27.3527/
plant) the lowest insect pest recorded on the four okra varieties Madison okra variety (3) (27.1033/
plant) there were significant reductions in pests for all the insecticides applied on all the okra
varieties compared to the mixture of Neem kernel extract with wood ash and omo soap powder and
mixture of Neem leaf extract with wood ash and omo soap powder with control (without insecticides).
All the mixture of Neem kernel extract with wood ash and omo soap powder, and mixture of Neem
leaf extract with wood ash and omo soap powder applied (P< 0.05) on all the okra varieties
compared to the control. Generally, plants to which the insecticides were applied produced the
highest mean weight of young fruit pods, translating into mean increases in fruit pod weight ranging
between 7.1 kg/ plot and 13.35 kg/ plot on all the okra varieties compared to the Diaznon 40% and
Byiraban 40%, the mixture of Neem kernel extract with wood ash and omo soap powder and mixture
of Neem leaf extract with wood ash and omo soap powder and control (without insecticides) in all
random treatment plots.
