Journal of Advances in Biology & Biotechnology

Rice leaf folder is an important constraint in rice production. This study evaluated integrated pest management (IPM) modules for suppressing leaf folder damage while conserving spiders and improving rice yield and economic returns under field conditions at Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh. The experiment used rice variety JRB-1 and seven treatments comprising selected IPM modules, farmers’ practice, and an untreated control, with cultural, mechanical, biological, and chemical components. Leaf damage and spider abundance were assessed at successive crop stages, and yield attributes and economics were determined. Based on the pooled mean, farmers’ practice recorded the lowest leaf damage (0.89%) but also the lowest spider population (0.39 spider/hill). Among the IPM modules, T4, comprising hand destruction of immature stages and infected plant parts plus need-based granular insecticide application, recorded the lowest overall leaf damage (1.20%). T3, comprising installation of straw bundles plus need-based granular insecticide application, supported the highest spider population (2.90 spiders/hill) and produced the highest grain yield (29.33 q/ha), with 13.53 tillers/hill and 209 grains/panicle. The untreated control recorded 5.35% leaf damage and the lowest yield (18.05 q/ha). T3 also provided the highest additional yield (11.28 q/ha), net return (Rs. 18,832/ha), and cost-benefit ratio (1:7.24). These results indicate that, under the study conditions, the T3 module combined comparatively low leaf folder damage with greater spider abundance, yield, and economic return, while T4 achieved the lowest leaf damage among the evaluated IPM modules.