Division of Entomology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110012.
1Department of Zoology, A.S. (P.G.) College, Mawana, Uttar Pradesh-250401.
Nutritional indices viz. relative consumption rate (RCR), relative growth rate (RGR), efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI%), efficiency of conversion of digested food (ECD %) and approximate digestibility (AD %) were determined for nine different natural food in the laboratory. Based on RGR, ECI, ECD and AD, pea pod was found to be most preferred natural food followed by chilli and okra pod. These indices can well be used in selection of host - plant - resistance of test insect as well as for mathematical modeling, which will be of help in sustainable pest management programme.
Helicoverpa armigera, nutritional indices, natural food, pest management
