Management of the chickpea pod borer sustainably

A legume crop belonging to the Fabaceae family's Faboideae subfamily is the chickpea. It is sometimes called Egyptian pea, chana, or Bengal gram. Other names for it include gram or garbanzo bean. It has a lot of protein in its seeds. The seeds' size, shape, and colour distinguish Kabuli and Desi chickpea varieties. In terms of nutrition, it has 59.6% carbs, 3.2% minerals, and 24% protein. It can withstand high temperatures during and after flowering and fix nitrogen from the atmosphere. A proper management of pod borer is essential to get a healthy crop.

Pod borer biology

These have 30-34-day life cycles, with an average temperature of 28 °C from egg to adult. The features of eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults are described below, and Fig. 3 shows the life cycles. During the 5-to 24-day oviposition phase, a female can deposit up to 3000 eggs on leaves, flowers, and pods. Single eggs are placed on leaves, flowers, and immature pods. The temperature affects how long eggs incubate; it might take two to five days. The kind and quality of the host plant affect the length of the larval growth in addition to temperature. For maize, it might take anything from 15.2 days to 23.8 days.

Type of harm

The first, second, and third instar larvae eat mainly on the flowers and flower buds of cotton, pigeon pea, and other plants; at first, they also consume the foliage of chickpeas and a few other legumes. The larval instar switches from eating leaves to growing seeds and fruits as it develops. The young chickpea seedlings could be killed, especially in southern India's tropical climate. By boring into them, more giant larvae eat the developing seeds within pods/bolls. The pod borer populations in Australia, where the environment is colder, increase in the spring and attack chickpeas in late spring before moving on to summer crops that grow in subtropical areas.

Methods of management

Understanding an insect pest's life cycle and how the environment affects it allows for adjusting crop agronomic methods to reduce its impact. Farmers manage pod borer mostly with insecticides. Insecticides can be expensive, and their overuse has led to environmental pollution and pesticide resistance. Given the above, a more environmentally friendly approach to pest management is required. Utilizing sustainable pest management strategies such as agronomic techniques, integrated approaches, biological control methods, and varietal resistance has been the focus of efforts.

producing resilient cultivars

Creating resistant cultivars offers a base for constructing an integrated pest management approach for any insect. Using resistant plants reduces insect populations steadily and cumulatively, with little added expense to farmers. Consequently, the objective of breeding should be to locate, describe, and use a genetic mechanism that gives a long-lasting resistance to pod borer. Suppose a solid source of resistance is available, and a workable and effective screening process can provide good selection pressure. In that case, developing superior cultivars resistant to pod borer should be straightforward. Depending on the crop's reproductive system, standard selection methods can be used.

Getting to Know the Chickpea Pod Borer

Helicoverpa armigera, the scientific name for the chickpea pod borer, is a severe pest affecting chickpea crops worldwide. The larvae of this type of moth eat leaves, petals, and pods. The moth lays its eggs on chickpea plants. If left unchecked, pod borers' damage can result in yield losses that are sometimes as high as 90%. To take prompt action, farmers must be aware of the telltale indicators of pod borer infestation, which include tiny holes in leaves and pods.

Observation and Prompt Identification

Regularly monitoring chickpea fields is the first step towards effectively managing chickpea pod borer. Farmers should check their crops at least twice a week during the growing season. Pheromone traps can be used to find adult moths and gauge population sizes. Moths that fly at night can also be observed with the help of light traps. Thanks to early detection, farmers can put control measures before the pest population reaches harmful proportions. Planning upcoming control methods is aided by maintaining thorough records of pest observations.

Techniques of Cultural Control

Sustainable pod borer management requires the use of cultural control techniques. They are rotating crops with non-host plants, which aids in disrupting the pest's life cycle. Pod borers can be kept away from the main crop by planting trap crops around chickpea fields, such as marigolds or sunflowers. Infestation risks can be decreased by changing planting dates to avoid times of peak insect activity. Eliminating possible insect breeding places is achieved through proper field sanitation, which includes clearing agricultural remains after harvest. Another way to interfere with the pod borer's capacity to find host plants is to intercrop chickpeas with crops like fennel or coriander.

Conclusion

Biological control uses the pod borer's natural enemies to manage population growth. Pest populations can be considerably decreased by promoting beneficial insects like predatory bugs, birds, and parasitic wasps. By keeping a variety of plants around the boundaries of their fields, farmers may establish habitats for these natural enemies. Using Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which contains microbial pesticides, is a successful biological control strategy. These products are harmless for beneficial insects, the environment, and lepidopteran pests such as the pod borer.