View Full Text Article
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
229 Progressive Horticulture, Vol. 45, No. 1, March 2013 Progressive Horticulture, Vol. 45, No. 1, March 2013 © Copyright by ISHRD, Printed in India [Research Article] Legume pod borer (Maruca testulalis Geyer) and their relative yield losses in cowpea cultivars 1 2 3 Arvind Kumar, Akhilesh Kumar, S. Satpathy, Shiv Mangal Singh and Hira Lal Department of Entomology, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture & Technology, Kanpur- 208 002 (U.P.) India Email: [email protected] 1 Krishi Vigyan Kendra (JNKVV, Jabalpur),Shahdol - 484 001(MP) 2 Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibres, Barrackpore, Kolkata-700 120 3 Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh - 221 005, India ABSTRACT Field experiments were conducted at Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture & Technology, Kanpur during Kharif season o f 2007-2008.One promising variety Pusa Komal and fourteen g e notypes of c o wpea were evaluated against major pests of cowpea legume pod borer (Maruca testulalis) were observed as major pests of c o wpea at fl ower and pod stages of c r op growth. The maximum population of pests was recorded as 0.83 pod borer larvae per fl ower bud at 91 DAS during second week of November and 2.18 per pod at 84 DAS during fi rst week of November. The pod damage among the test cultivars varied from 22.8% to 32.56% by pod borers and genotype KCP-6 was least susceptible, whereas KCP-1 was most susceptible to this pest. None of the cultivars was found resistant to this pest. The varietal susceptibility to pod borer was found to be less in genotype KCP-6, Pusa Komal and RGC-5 and more in genotype KCP-1, RGC-2 and RGC-4. The maximum healthy and total pod yield was recorded in genotype KCP-2 (94.30 and 129.85 q ha-1) followed by genotypes RCP-4 (87.57 and 122.08 q ha-1). Contrarily, the minimum was recorded in Pusa Komal (50.55 and 67.07 q ha -1) followed by RCP-2 (51.34 and 70.08 q ha -1) and KCP-6 (64.07 and 83.00 q ha -1). KEY WORDS: Pad borer, legume, cowpea, yield, losses Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] is one of MATERIALS AND METHODS the most common vegetable grown all over India. It is The experiment was carried out during Kharif severely damaged by Pod borers (Maruca vitrata and season of 2007-2008. The experimental site is situated Helicoverpa armigera) are most damaging pest during at University Vegetable Research Farm, Chandra the post fl owering stage (Nair, 1986; Yadav and Yadav, Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture & Technology, 1983). Maruca vitrata damage the fl ower bud also. The Kalyanpur, Kanpur. Fourteen genotypes along with a deformation or direct damage of fl oral parts imparts standard v a riety P u sa Komal were taken a s t e st materials. adverse effect on yield. After pod formation the All the normal agronomic practices were followed borer scrap and bore into the pod, feeding the seeds for raising the crop. The experiment was replicated inside resulting in direct damage of pods. The species thrice in a randomized block design.The observation composition of borers infesting cowpea in fl owering and on recording the infestation of pod borer damaging podding stage depends mostly on cropping season and pods, the number of damaged pods and total number the prevailing weather conditions. Keeping the above of pods in fi ve tagged plants in each plot were counted facts in view, the present investigation was planned at every picking and their cumulative total was worked and carried out on as a preventive measure the role of out. The intensity of pod borer population in fl owers resistant cultivars is most important in management of and pods was estimated by counting the number of this pest particularly in low input subsistence growing larvae per 10 fl ower-buds and pods separately from the condition in marginally fertile lands. These are many tagged plants at weekly interval and the average value sources of resistance against the pest. was worked out for its infestation. The data collected on Online version available on: www.indianjournals.com Progressive Horticulture, Vol. 45, No. 1, March 2013 230 Table 1: Population of legume pod borer and extent of yield losses in different cowpea cultivars Pod borer larvae Healthy pod Total pod Genotypes / variety (No. pod-1) Pod damage (%) yield (q ha-1) yield (q ha-1) per fl ower bud per pod RCP-1 0.44 1.11 25.16 (14.58) 67.11 89.67 RCP-2 0.56 1.42 26.74 (15.51) 51.34 70.08 RCP-3 0.62 1.53 29.45 (17.14) 80.38 113.93 RCP-4 0.50 1.23 28.27 (16.43) 87.57 122.08 KCP-1 0.73 1.97 32.56 (19.01) 65.47 97.08 KCP-2 0.59 1.48 27.38 (15.90) 94.30 129.85 KCP-3 0.45 1.19 25.83 (14.98) 77.92 105.05 KCP-4 0.63 1.63 30.69 (17.88) 80.37 115.95 KCP-6 0.36 1.16 22.81 (13.19) 64.07 83.00 RGC-1 0.48 1.29 26.32 (15.26) 76.43 103.73 RGC-2 0.67 1.86 31.78 (18.54) 68.96 101.08 RGC-3 0.61 1.70 28.93 (16.82) 67.82 95.43 RGC-4 0.67 1.79 31.24 (18.22) 77.69 112.98 RGC-5 0.41 0.95 23.65 (13.69) 84.29 110.40 Pusa Komal 0.40 0.89 24.63 (14.26) 50.55 67.07 CD (P=0.05) 0.10 0.28 3.32 7.33 27.76 *Figures in parentheses are transformed value. Fig. 1: Relative yield loss in cowpea cultivars caused by legume pod borer 231 Progressive Horticulture, Vol. 45, No. 1, March 2013 various aspects were subjected to the statistical analysis different cowpea cultivars has also been reported by after suitable transformations. Analysis of variance was Ramalho et al. (1977). The cowpea particularly kharif calculated to fi nd out the signifi cant differences between season crop suffers from the damage of a number of the treatments on the basis of CD values. pod borers; the extent of damage varies a lot depending on the cultivars (Nair, 1986; Yadav and Yadav, 1983). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The canopy structure and pod position in cowpea Legume pod borer (Maruca testulalis Geyer) were infl uenced the intensity of infestation and damage by other most serious pests of cowpea at fl owering, pod Maruca testulalis and defoliated cultivars sustained less formation and maturity of pod. It is clear from the infestation and damage than under-foliated plants. experimental fi ndings that M. testulalis appeared in the Cultivars with pods held within the canopy suffered cowpea fl ower bud for the fi rst time at 49 DAS during the more damage than cultivars with pods in the normal last week of September and in the pod at 63 DAS during position. Canopy structure and pod position acting second week of October, 2007. The maximum number together or independently, exerted profound effects of pod borer larvae per fl ower bud (0.83) was recorded on cowpea resistance to M. testulalis. Selection and at 91 DAS during second week of November followed breeding cowpea cultivars with less dense foliage and by 0.71 larvae per fl ower bud at 98 DAS during third long peduncles holding the reproductive structures week of November. Similarly, the maximum number of above the canopy should increase cowpea resistance to pod borer larvae per pod (2.18) was recorded at 84 DAS M. testulalis (Oghiakhe et al., 1991). during fi rst week of November followed by 1.90 larvae The pod damage among the test cultivars varied per pod at 91 DAS during second week of November. from 22.81% to 32.56% and the minimum pod damage As regards their range, the population of larvae varied was recorded in genotype KCP-6 (22.81%) which was between 0.36 to 0.73 per fl ower bud and 0.89 to 1.97 per closely followed by genotypes RGC-5 (23.65%), Pusa pod on different genotypes, and 0.29 to 0.83 larvae per Komal (24.63%) and RCP-1 (25.16%). On contrary, KCP- fl ower bud and 0.46 to 2.18 per pod during different 1 was most susceptible with maximum (32.56%) pod weeks of observations(Table 1). Similar fi ndings have damage followed by genotypes RGC-2 (31.78%), RGC- also been reported by Veeranna et al. (1997) in cowpea. 4 (31.24%) and KCP-4 (30.69%). All most similar trend Bachatly and Malak (2001) obtained highest infestation was obtained in case of number of pod borer larvae per of cowpea pod borer during second week of November, pod indicating the increase of number of infested pod whereas seed infestation was highest during last week with an increase in number of pod borer larvae per pod. of October. The number of larvae per pod was highest These results are collaborated with the fi ndings of those during last week of October. Sharma (1999) in kindney bean and Sharma et al. (1999) There was a signifi cant variability among different in dolichos bean. genotypes with regard to mean population of pod borer It is evident from the present investigation that the larvae per pod (Table 1 Fig.