A field experiment was conducted during the pre-summer season of 2016 on groundnut at the agricultural research farm, Institute of Agriculture, Visva-Bharati, Birbhum, West Bengal with the objectives to evaluate some newer pesticide molecule against the two important insect-pests infesting groundnut i.e. leaf miner (Aproaerema modicella) and bihar hairy caterpillar (Spilosoma obliqua). The experiment was conducted taking seven insecticidal treatments including Imidacloprid 17.8% SL, Diafenthiuron 50%WP, Diflubenzuron 25%WP, Acephate 50% + imidacloprid 1.8% SP, Lambda Cyhalothrin 5% EC, Quinalphos 25% EC and Chlorpyriphos 20% EC. and an untreated check. It was revealed that incidence of leaf miner (Aproaerema modicella) and bihar hairy caterpillar (Spilosoma obliqua) was prevalent at early growth phase and flowering to pod maturity stages of the crop growth respectively. Highest efficacy against leaf miner was observed by spraying with Acephate 50% + imidacloprid 1.8% SP (@1000g/ha) followed by Quinalphos 25% EC, both insecticides giving 88% reduction in leaf miner population after 10 day of spraying. The next order of insecticidal efficacy were recorded as Chlorpyriphos 20% EC (@ 1000ml/ha) >Lambda Cyhalothrin 5% EC (@300ml/ha), Diflubenzuron 25%WP(@ 300g/ha), and Diafenthiuron 50%WP (@600g/ha). While, Diflubenzuron 25%WP and Lambda Cyhalothrin 5% EC gave more efficacy against reduction in bihar hairy caterpillar population. The maximum yield 15.33q/ha was obtained from Acephate 50% + imidacloprid 1.8% SP (@1000g/ha) as compared to other treatments. The highest benefit: cost ratio (1.14:1) as well as profit was obtained from the treatment with Acephate 50% +Imidacloprid 1.8% SP.
