UTTAR PRADESH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY

The banana pseudostem weevil, Odoiporus longicollis (Olivier), is a destructive pest causing significant economic losses in banana cultivation. In response to the environmental and health hazards associated with synthetic insecticides, this study evaluated the efficacy of sustainable management strategies using bioagents and botanicals. A field experiment was conducted over two seasons (2021–2022) in a farmer’s field in Karnataka, India and the experiment composed of seven treatments replicated thrice in randomized block design with 15 plants at each replication. Treatments included soil application of neem cake and the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (strain UHSB-END1) at different frequencies, as well as placing B. bassiana-smeared pseudostem traps. Results were compared against a standard chemical check (Carbofuron 3% G) and an untreated control. The most effective treatment was the soil application of B. bassiana at 10 g/plant during the 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th months (T₄), which recorded the significantly lowest mean damage grade index (0.49) and the least active weevil life stages of the BPW per plant. This treatment also resulted in the highest bunch weight (17.55 kg) and yield (39.85 t/ha). Placing B. bassiana-smeared cut pseudostem traps (T₅) was also highly effective, demonstrating the highest benefit-cost ratio (4.37) due to its low application cost and strong pest suppression. These findings demonstrate that B. bassiana, applied either as a soil drench or in a "lure and kill" trap system, offers an economically viable and ecologically sound alternative to chemical pesticides for managing the banana pseudostem weevil.