Scientific name: Cicer arietinum L.

Common name: Bengal gram

Identification of the pest

• Eggs – are spherical in shape and creamy white in colour, laid singly
• Pupa – brown in colour, occurs in soil, leaf, pod and crop debris
• Adult - light pale brownish yellow stout moth.
• Forewing grey to pale brown with V shaped speck.
• Hind wings are pale smoky white with a broad blackish outer margin.

Symptoms of damage

• Skeletinization of leaves – feeding chlorophyll only leaving veins by young larvae Defoliation
• Feeds flower and green pods
• In green pods – make circular holes and feed the grains and make empty.

Management

• ETL: 2 early instar larvae/plant 5-8 eggs/plant
• Pheromone traps for Helicoverpa armigera 12/ha
• Bird perches 50/ha
• Hand picking of grown up larvae and blister beetles
• Ha NPV 1.5 x1012 POB/ha with teepol (1 ml/lit.) Apply any one of the following (Spray fluid 625 ml/ha)
• Dichlorvos 76 WSC 625 ml/ha
• Neem seed kernel extract 5% (31.0 kg/ha) twice followed by
• Triazophos 40 EC 780 ml/ha
• Neem oil 12.5 lit./ha
• Phosalone 35 EC 1.25 lit./ha

(Note : Insecticide / Ha NPV spray should be made when the larvae were upto third instar)

• Skeletinization of leaves and the plant becomes whitish
• The larvae feed on leaf buds, flowers, tender pods and developing seeds.
• Ragged and irregular pod. (This is in contrast with the neat, and round hole, characteristic of pod borer damage.)

• Moths have typically patterned forewings.
• The larva 25 mm long is green semiloopers.

• ETL 10% affected parts
• Deep summer ploughing in 2-3 years to eliminate quiescent pupa.
• Early sowing, short duration varieties.
• Avoid closer plant spacing.
• Grow tall sorghum as comparison crop to serve as biological bird perches
• Collect and destroy larvae and adults to the extent possible
• Install pheromone traps at a distance of 50 m @ 5 traps/ha for each insect pest.
• Install Bird perches @ 50/ha.
• Setting of light traps (1 light trap/5 acre) to kill moth population.
• Control is achieved by releasing of Trichogramma chlionis at weekly intervals @1.5 lakh/ha/ week for four times.
• Conserve green lacewing, predatory stink bugs, spider, ants
• Application of NPV 250 LE /ha with teepol 0.1% and Jaggery 0.5% thrice at 10 – 15 days interval commencing from flowering stage. (Note: Insecticide / Ha NPV spray should be applied when the larvae are in early stage).
• Bt @ 600 g, neem oil/ pungum oil 80 EC @ 2ml/lit
• Spray NSKE 5% twice followed by triazophos 0.05%.
• Apply any one of insecticides at 25 kg/ha. Chlorpyriphos 1.5 % DP, quinalphos 4D, carbaryl 5D
• Spray insecticides like Carbaryl 10%DP.(OR) Quinalphos 25 EC @ 1000 ml/ha

• The caterpillar remains the soil at a depth of 2-4 inches.
• The caterpillars cut the tender plants at the base, and branches or stems of growing plants.
• The caterpillars drag the cut parts into soil for feeding.
• The buried stem or branches is almost the sure index of the place where the caterpillar is hiding

• Eggs - are laid on earth clods, chickpea stem bases and on both sides of leaves.
• Larva - is dark brown with red head.
• Pupa -Pupation takes place in earthen cocoon.
• Adult- moth are brownish with numerous wavy lines and spots, measuring 3 to 5 cm across wings

• Deep summer ploughing.
• Use well decomposed organic manure.
• Adapt crop rotation.
• Early sowing in the last week of October.
• Intercropping with wheat or Linseed or Mustard reduces infestation.
• In the early stages pick the insects and destroy.
• Do not grow Tomato or Lady Finger in near by field.
• Grow marigold on bunds
• The adult insects can be controlled by light traps
• Spray insecticides like quinalphos 25 EC @ 1000 ml/ha
• In case of severe infestation Spray insecticides like spark 36 EC at the rate of 1000 ml/ha. Profenophos 50 EC @ 1500 ml/ha.
• Dilute the above in 500 - 600 liters water and spray.

• Termite bores into the roots and stem. Due to the bore the plants soon dries.
• Attack may continue to the standing crop also especially during the period of drought.

• These are social insects, live in termitaria, in distinct castes, workers, kings and queen.
• Eggs are laid on plants and in the soil.
• 'Worker' are small (4 mm) and have a soft, white body and a brown head.

• Frequent intercultural operations and irrigation before sowing.
• Field sanitation, timely disposal of crop stables and undecomposed plant parts.
• Undecomposed FYM or composed should not be used
• Two-three deep ploughing could also help control this pest.
• Destroy the termite bunds in and around the field and kill the queen and complimentary form.
• Seed treatment with chlorpyriphos @ 4ml/kg of seed.