Bio-pesticides Mediated Suppression of Gram Pod Borer (Helicoverpa armigera Hubner) in Chickpea under Field Conditions
Samadhan P. Javalage *
Agricultural Entomology, Shri Vaishanav Institute of Agriculture, Shri Vaishnav Vidyapeeth Vishwavidyalaya, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Yuvraj A. Shinde
Department of Plant Protection, Shri Vaishanav Institute of Agriculture, Shri Vaishnav Vidyapeeth Vishwavidyalaya, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Lalasaheb R. Tambade
Krishi Vigyan Kendra Solapur, Solapur, Maharashtra, India.
Amol B. Shastri
Krishi Vigyan Kendra Solapur, Solapur, Maharashtra, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The gram pod borer Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), is the most significant pest of Chickpea. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the bio-efficacy of different microbial treatments against the gram pod borer, H. armigera (Hübner), infesting chickpea during the rabi season 2024-25 at the KVK operational area village. The experiment included six treatments: T1- Beauveria bassiana at 1.5 kg/ha, T2- Bacillus thuringiensis at 1.0 kg/ha, T3- HaNPV at 250 LE/ha, T4- Nomuraea rileyi at 1.5 kg/ha, T5- Spinosad 45 SC at 73 g a.i./ha, and T6 -Water spray and untreated control. Treatments were applied twice to pod borers that had crossed their ETL levels, at 15-day intervals. Results showed that all treatments significantly reduced the larval population of H. armigera compared to the control. Among the treatments, T5- Spinosad 45 SC at 73 g a.i./ha was the most effective, recording the lowest larval population (0.28 larvae/mrl) and minimum pod damage (6.55%). This treatment also achieved the highest grain yield (21.35 q/ha), maximum net profit (Rs. 65,451/ha), and a favorable benefit–cost ratio of 1:11.18. The next treatment was T3- HaNPV at 250 LE/ha, which recorded the low larval population (0.45 larvae/mrl) and pod damage (8.85%), with a grain yield of 18.15 q/ha and a benefit–cost ratio of 1:11.26, indicating its potential as an eco- friendly pest management option. Other microbial treatments such as T2- Bacillus thuringiensi, T1- Beauveria bassiana, and T4- Nomuraea rileyi also showed moderate effectiveness in reducing pest populations and improving yield compared to the control. Thus, the study clearly demonstrated that Spinosad 45 SC at 73 g a.i./ha, followed by HaNPV at 250 LE/ha, were the most effective and economically viable treatments for managing the gram pod borer in chickpea.
Keywords: Bio pesticides, Helicoverpa armigera, chickpea, Spinosad etc