Legume Research
Web of Science
  • Year: 2025
  • Volume: 48
  • Issue: 1

Assessing Pigeonpea Genotypes for Resistance against Maruca vitrata Fabricius and its Sustainable Management through Biorationals

  • Author:
  • G.K. Sujayanand1,*, Dibendu Datta2, Anup Chandra1, Sonika Pandey1
  • Total Page Count: 7
  • Page Number: 176 to 182

1Division of Crop Protection, ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur-208 024, Uttar Pradesh, India

2ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research Regional Station, Bhopal-462 030, Madhya Pradesh, India

*Corresponding Author: G.K. Sujayanand, Division of Crop Protection, ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur-208 024, Uttar Pradesh, India, Email: sujayanand.gk@icar.gov.in

Online Published on 08 July, 2025.

Abstract

The spotted pod borer (SPB), Maruca vitrata Fabricius is a key insect pest of pigeonpea, Cajanus cajan in India and semi-arid tropics. The SPB has developed insecticide resistance to most of the chemical insecticide and its habitat is expanding. Identifying a SPB resistant genotype will help in sustainable management of SPB and in attaining nutritional security.

Forty seven pigeonpea genotypes were screened during kharif 2015 to 2017 at ICAR-IIPR, Kanpur based on % pod damage and Pest Resistance Susceptibility Rating (PRSR). The 4 biorationals were tested against SPB in ICPL 87. Further its molecular identity was confirmed by phylogenetic analysis of partial Cox 1 gene.

Two indeterminate genotypes (Pusa2001 and Pusa33) were identified as SPB resistant based on lowest mean PRSR (1.7). The PRSR 2.0 was scored by AL-15 and LRG-30. Spinosad 45SC has recorded significantly lowest mean pod damage (6.67%) and highest mean yield (4.36 kg/35 m2) in the field efficacy trial. The phylogenetic analysis of Cox 1 gene from Kanpur population (KY559101) with 19 other M. vitrata populations in India revealed that it is more similar to Raichur population (KT070892) and it confirms M. vitrata has same ancestral homology in India.

Keywords

Cox 1, Flower webber, Legume pod borer, Phylogenetic analysis, Pod damage, Resistance screening