Crop phenology based application of insecticides for the management of
pod borer of chickpea

Helicoverpa armigera is the major biotic productivity constraint for chickpea. Farmers rarely
apply insecticides based on the attainment of economic threshold levels of the pest; translating in higher
crop damage and cost of plant protection. Hence, present study was framed to device a farmer friendly,
crop phenology based application of newer molecules for the cost effective management of the pod
borer. The field experiment was conducted at the Agriculture Research Station, Sakoli during Rabi2016-
17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 and Pulses Research Unit, Akola during Rabi2017-18 and 2018-19 to screen of
newer insecticides against pod borer of chickpea and to estimate the efficacy and economics of newer
insecticides against pod borer of chickpea. The results revealed that, application of Lambda cyhalothrin
5% EC at 50 per cent flowering was followed by chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC at 15 days after first
application and Ethion 50% EC at 50 per cent flowering followed by chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC at 15 days
after first application were found most effective treatments for reduction of gram pod borer population
and damage which translating into higher yield and ICBR.