†Intenational Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru502324, Andhra Pradesh, India.
$Department of Entomology, Agricultural College, Bapatla522101, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Department of Entomology, Agricultural College, Naira532185, SrikukulamAndhra Pradesh, India.
Investigations on the effect of various integrated pest management (IPM) components on Helicoverpa armigera and their impact on natural enemies present in chickpea were carried out during 1998–2000 cropping seasons. Application of neem effectively reduced the oviposition by H. armigera through out the cropping period. The integration of various IPM components was found to be the best in reducing the pod damage (10.4%) with highest grain yield (1264.4 kg/ha) with 58.5% increase in yield over control (797.9 kg/ha). Among various IPM components, neem, Helicoverpa Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus were as effective as endosulfan in reducing the larval population and pod damage. Endosulfan was found to be more harmful to the natural enemy population present in chickpea canopy. Among various treatments highest cost-benefit ratio (1:3.01) was obtained in plots treated with IPM. The effect of various IPM components individually or as a package to evolve the best alternate to chemical control of the chickpea pod borer were discussed.
Integrated pest management, chemical control, chickpea, Helicoverpa Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus (HNPV), neem, bird perches, natural enemies
