The efficacy of neem kernel cake powder water extract (NKCP-WE) and Dipel 2x (Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki) in controlling the diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella Linn. (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae), on cabbage was evaluated in screenhouse experiments. All concentrations of NKCP-WE tested were larvicidal and plants treated with 25 and 50 g/l NKCP-WE retained larvicidal activity for up to 2 weeks after application. The efficacy of 25 and 50 g/1 NKCP-WE and 0.5 g/1 Dipel 2x was compared by observing DBM development on the treated plants and yields of those plants. Dipel 2x-treated plants had less DBM larval infestation than the neem-treated plants but the latter treatment gave better yield. The implications of these observations are discussed.
