Anjali Pandey, R.N. Yadav, D.K. Singh, Anurag Verma, Shivendra Pratap Singh, Somdutt Tripathi and Pramod Tripathi
Abstract
The study determined the mango orchardistsâ awareness of diseases linked to insect pests and evaluated their level of knowledge about Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques in Uttar Pradesh. A pre tested structured interview schedule was used to gather data from 200 randomly chosen mango orchardists in the districts of Lucknow and Saharanpur in 2025 using an ex-post-facto study design. A standardized 35-item schedule covering physical/mechanical, cultural, biological, and chemical IPM approaches, as well as diseases linked to pests, was used to gauge knowledge. The results showed that 20.50% of respondents had high knowledge, 19.00% had low knowledge, and 60.50% had medium knowledge. The Knowledge Index was greatest for cultural activities (77.57%), followed by chemical (75.02%), physical/mechanical (71.81%), and biological (52.42%). While orchardistsâ understanding of biological control agents, egg parasitoids, and the Economic Threshold Level remained relatively low, they demonstrated strong awareness of fruit bagging, tree banding, deep ploughing, and suggested insecticides. There was also little knowledge about diseases linked to insect pests. In order to promote sustainable IPM adoption and lessen reliance on chemical pesticides in mango farming, the study emphasises the necessity of enhanced extension programs through frequent training, field demonstrations, and better access to biological control methods.