Integrated approaches for the management of Helicoverpa armigera in hyacinth bean [Lablab purpureus (L.)]

Gram pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera) is one of the major pest infecting field beans in Mysore district results in more than 80 per cent crop loss. The pest mainly infects the pods which in turn reduces the crop yield and market acceptance. To control this pest, the farmers are using chemicals indiscriminately which increase the cost of production and also harmful to the ecosystem. The present experiment was conducted at 10 farmers field at Hulyalu village, Hunsuru Taluk and introduced the integrated management of gram pod borer technology which involved installation of pheromone traps 20/ha at flowering stage, application of Azadiractin 10000ppm @ 2 ml/l and need based application of Emamectin benzoate 5%SG 0.5 gram per liter. The experimental results indicated that the demonstrated fields were recorded with an average 6.50 per cent pod damage by the pod borer larvae compare to 70 per cent in uncontrolled farmer's field. Meanwhile the significantly a greater number of pods (75.80) per plant were observed in treated plots with yield of 92.10 q/ ha compared to 52.60 pods and 61.30 q/ha in untreated fields, respectively. The overall results and farmers feedback implies that the adoption of integrated pest management technologies for the management of gram pod bore in field bean reduced the cost on pest management by 50 per cent by reduction in the number of sprays (total number of sprays-3) and also improves the yield by 33.44 per cent and market acceptability.