Evaluation of the Safety of Horticultural Mineral oil to the Predatory Mite, Neoseiulus longispinosus and Acaropathogen, Acremonium zeylanicum

Laboratory bioassay to evaluate the safety of Horticultural mineral oil (HMO) to the predatory mite, N. longispinosus revealed that HMO is relatively safer to the predator. At the highest concentration evaluated (3.0%) HMO resulted in 38.89 per cent and 22.22 per cent mortality of eggs and adults respectively. Horticultural mineral oil alone and in combination with neem oil was found to be inhibitory to the acaropathogen, A. zeylanicum. The combination treatment, HMO (3.0%) + neem oil (2.0%) recorded significantly higher inhibition of 86.44 per cent as against a significantly lower 46.67 per cent inhibition by HMO at 2.5 per cent. No visible phytotoxic effects were observed on okra plant at higher concentration of HMO (6%). The study revealed that HMO is relatively safer to the predatory mite, acaropathogen and to the okra plant. The HMO can be incorporated into IPM programmes for pest management.