EFFECT OF SYNTHETIC PYRETHROIDS, NEEM EXTRACTS AND OTHER INSECTICIDES FOR THE CONTROL OF POD DAMAGE BY HELICOVERPA-ARMIGERA (HUBNER) ON CHICKPEA AND POD DAMAGE YIELD RELATIONSHIP AT PANTNAGAR IN NORTHERN INDIA

The chickpea crop at Pantnagar (29 degrees N, 79 degrees E) in northern India, consistently suffers extensive pod damage due to Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), varying from 42·6 to 90·0%, with an average of 65·5% in unprotected controls. Grain yields were 0·02-1·36 t ha-1, average 0·72 t ha-1, during the 'rabi' winter seasons of 1979-1980 to s1986-1987. Among the insecticides tested for two or more years, cypermethrin at 36 and 45 g, deltamethrin at 12 g, fenvalerate at 120 g, endosulfan at 420 g and monocrotophos at 240 g ha-1 significantly and consistently reduced pod borer damage to < 22·5%, giving grain yields of > 1·7 t ha-1. Less effective but still significantly better than the control were quinalphos at 300 g, HCH at 2600 g, chlorpyrifos at 240 g ha-1 and neem seed kernel extract at 5·0%. Mean grain yields (adjusted for the years effect) were significantly negatively correlated with percentage pod damage (r = -0·93). © 1990.