Deltamethrin 2.8% EC Insecticide Uses

Deltamethrin 2.8% EC is a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide registered for use in India under the Insecticides Act, 1968, formulated as an emulsifiable concentrate (EC) for foliar spraying. It is registered for the control of bollworm and sucking insects in cotton, thrips, caterpillars, leaf folder and looper in tea, shoot and fruit borer and jassid in okra, leaf miner in groundnut, hoppers in mango, fruit borer in chilli, shoot and fruit borer in brinjal, and pod borer and pod fly in red gram (arhar/tur). This page lists its mode of action, key benefits and the recommended dosage as per the Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee (CIB&RC) official list of approved insecticide uses (Government of India).

Which Problem Is This For? (Symptom Guide)

Not sure whether the damage in your field matches this insecticide's use case? This guide helps match what you see in the field to this insecticide's approved crop-wise uses.

Mode of Action

Deltamethrin is a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide (IRAC Group 3A, sodium channel modulators). It keeps the sodium channels of the insect's nerve cells open, so nerves fire continuously; the insect is quickly knocked down, becomes paralysed and dies. It acts by contact and stomach action and has no systemic movement in the plant, so good spray coverage on the pest and the plant parts it feeds on is important.

Features & Benefits

• Fast knockdown of caterpillars and sucking insects by contact and stomach action.
• Low dose of formulation per acre for most registered crops.
• Registered across field crops, vegetables, plantation crops (tea) and fruit (mango) as per the CIB&RC list.
• Emulsifiable concentrate mixes easily in water to form a uniform spray emulsion.
• Use in rotation with insecticides from other IRAC groups (e.g. diamides, spinosyns, organophosphates) to manage resistance; avoid repeated back-to-back pyrethroid sprays.

Recommended Usage of Deltamethrin 2.8% EC Insecticide

The table below gives the recommended dose, water volume and waiting period per acre, converted from the CIB&RC-registered per-hectare rate — see the note below the table for conversion details. Always confirm against the current product label before use.

Figures above are converted from the CIB&RC-registered per-hectare rate (1 ha ≈ 2.47 acres): cotton bollworm 12.5 g a.i./500 ml formulation/ha and cotton sucking insects 10 g a.i./400 ml/ha, both in 400–600 L water/ha, waiting period not stated; tea thrips and caterpillar 3–4 g a.i./120–150 ml/ha, tea leaf folder 10 g a.i./400 ml/ha and tea looper 2.5–3.75 g a.i./100–150 ml/ha, all in 400–600 L/ha, PHI 3 days; okra shoot and fruit borer 10–15 g a.i./400–600 ml/ha and okra jassid 10 g a.i./400 ml/ha in 400–600 L/ha, PHI 1 day; groundnut 12.5 g a.i./500 ml in 400–600 L/ha, PHI 3 days; chilli 10–12.5 g a.i./400–500 ml in 400–600 L/ha, PHI 5 days; brinjal 10–12.5 g a.i./400–500 ml in 500 L/ha, PHI 3 days; red gram 12.5 g a.i./500 ml in 500 L/ha, PHI 10 days. *Mango: CIB&RC lists a fixed spray concentration of 0.03–0.05% (0.33–0.5 ml formulation per litre of water), with the spray volume as per field requirement — the total quantity depends on the size and number of trees; PHI 1 day. Always confirm the current dose on your specific product's label before use.

How to Use

1. Identify the pest from the symptom guide above and confirm the dose from the table.
2. Shake the bottle well, measure the required quantity, mix it in a small quantity of water first, then add it to the spray tank and top up to the full volume while stirring.
3. Spray uniformly over the crop with a knapsack or power sprayer, covering both sides of the leaves, shoots, flowers and fruits or pods; in mango, cover the flower panicles and tender shoots thoroughly.
4. Spray at the first sign of pest damage, or at the crop stage advised by your local agricultural extension office.
5. Spray in calm weather in the early morning or late evening, and avoid spraying if rain is expected within a few hours.

Precautions & Safety

• Wear appropriate PPE — mask, gloves, goggles and full-sleeved clothing — while mixing and spraying, and avoid inhaling the spray mist.
• Follow the recommended dose strictly; do not mix with other pesticides unless specifically recommended.
• Respect the waiting period (PHI) before harvesting or plucking the treated crop: 1 day for okra and mango, 3 days for tea, groundnut and brinjal, 5 days for chilli and 10 days for red gram; CIB&RC does not state a waiting period for cotton — follow the product label.
• Deltamethrin is highly toxic to fish and bees — avoid spraying when bees are actively foraging on flowering crops, and do not spray near ponds or fish tanks.
• Do not let spray wash or field water reach ponds, fish tanks, streams or drinking-water sources.
• Store in the original, tightly closed container in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, food and feed, and out of reach of children and livestock.
• Wash hands, face and any exposed skin thoroughly with soap and water after spraying, and change out of contaminated clothing before eating, drinking or smoking.

Brand names mentioned on this page are registered trademarks of their respective owners and are referenced here for identification purposes only; FarmMate is not affiliated with or endorsed by these brands. This page is for general information only — always consult your local agricultural extension office and confirm the current product label before use.