SCREENING OF DIFFERENT CHICKPEA VARIETIES AGAINST GRAM POD BORER HELICOVERPA ARMIGERA (HUB). AND ITS LABORATORY REARING ON CHICKPEA, B.T COTTON AND CONVENTIONAL COTTON

Abstract

In Integrated Pest Management host plant resistance is very important against the insect pests. In the recent work, the different Chickpea varieties were screened out for their resistance against the Gram Pod Borer (Helicoverpa armigera) under the natural field conditions at the Latif Farm Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam. The pest was also reared under laboratory conditions on three different hosts i.e. chickpea, conventional cotton and B.t cotton. Results on the screening of different chickpea genotypes revealed that the genotypes NCS 0530 and NCS 0523 produced significant results in term of lower Gram pod borer infestation (Helicoverpa armigera). Whereas susceptible effect against Gram Pod Borer was appeared in the varieties, NCS 0605 and NCS 9917 showing significantly higher population of Gram pod borer. The rest of the varieties were intermediate in tolerance or susceptibile to the attack of gram pod borer. Studies showed that tolerant Chickpea varieties can produce good yield and can reduce the use of chemicals in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) against the Gram Pod Borer. The laboratory rearing of (Helicoverpa armigera) on different natural hosts e.g Chickpea, B.t Cotton and Conventional Cotton was done in laboratory conditions results revealed that chickpea was the most preferred food followed by conventional cotton (Sadori variety). However different life history parameters of Helicoverpa armigera were severely affected by Bt cotton (IR-FH-901) where maximum mortality of first and second larval instars and prolong life cycle of all other instars was recorded