Managing chickpea pod borer
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The infestation starts after germination and becomes serious after initiation of flower buds.
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POD BORER (Helicoverpa armigera) is a serious pest of chickpea. The infestations begins on chickpea usually a fortnight after germination and becomes serious after the initiation of flower buds.
Climatic factors
Cloudy and humid weather favours the spread of this pest. The pest is medium in size, light brown in colour and has dark spots on forewings. Females lay several small singly white eggs.
The eggs hatch in 3-4 days. Caterpillars feed on the leaves for a short time and subsequently attack the pods.
Full-grown caterpillars are green or brown in colour with scattered short white hairs.
They burrow into the soil where they pupate in an earthen cell, which they weave around themselves. The pupal stage lasts for 12 days during March-December after which they hibernate during January-February.
Life cycle
The moth emerges during the second week of March and starts laying eggs. The entire life cycle is completed in 35-40 days. The pest completes eight generations in one year.
Pest management
Summer ploughing to expose the pest hidden in the soil
Use of resistant varieties
Spraying 5 per cent neem seed kernel suspension
Hand picking and destroying full grown larvae
D.N. Kambrekar
University of Agricultural Sciences
Dharwad, Karnataka
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