Introduction The losses due to injsect pests are much higher in the case of pulses than these in the cereal grains. It is not reasonable to expect that millions of small and marginal farmers will buy their own dusters and sprayers and other equipment for the application of pesticides in their small fields. These operations have to be organised on a community basis with the help of specially created service agencies for this purpose, it is also worth mentioning here about the damage occured during storage. Small storage devices for villages can save the damage to pulses from insect pests.

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Beetles Bruchus sp. Here Beetles denote Bruchus sp. About 15 per cent damage to gram grain is estimated to be caused by the beetles, Bruchus chinensis and Bruchus theobroma, which while feeding scoop out the contents of grains. The female beetle lays eggs on the grain and on emergence the larva feeds on the testa, subsequently boring into the pulse and pupating within the damaged portion of the grain. The adult emerges out of the pupa and begins to feed on the grain. The size of the adult beetle depends upon the size of the infested portion of the pulse. The pulse beetles assume serious proportions usually during July-August in the stores. Periodical exposure of the grains to sun helps to check infestations.

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Cut Worm Agrotis ipsilon (Adult)   Cutworm larva   This is caused by Agrotis ipsilon (Rott.) Besides A. ipsilon, other species known to damage gram are A.flammatra schiff, A.biconica Koll, A.segetum, and A. spinifera H. The larvae cut the plants at the base, below or just above the soil surface or may even cut branches. A characteristic feature of the damage is that the caterpillars drag the cut parts into soil for feeding. The burried stem or branches is almost the sure index of the place where the caterpillar is hiding. Cutworms can be controlled by dusting aldrin (5%) at 20 to 25 kg/ha. The adult insects can be controlled by light traps.

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Pod Borer Male (left) and Female (right) moths of Helicoverpa armigera   H.armigera eggs on chickpea leaves H. armigera feeding on leaves   H. armigera feeding on pods This is caused by Heliothis armigera Hb (or Heliothis absoleta) The pod borer is a serious pest of gram. It also attacks arhar (Cajanus cajan) and other crops. Control measures Cultural methods Recommended doses of fertilizers should be applied. Sow 3-4 lines of maize (or) Jowar around the cotton crop to monitor the moth. Sow trap crops like marigold at 50 plants/acre along with cotton. Inter crops like, Green gram, Black gram, Groundnut, Soybean should be sown. Clipping of terminal shoots on 100 days of crop growth. Physical methods Collection & destruction of eggs on trap crop as well as main crop. Collection & destruction of larvae on trap crop as well as main crop. Mechanical Methods Use of pheromone traps (4 traps/acre) for pest intensity identification as well as to trap the male moths. Arrange 10-bird perches/acre. Setting of light traps (1 light trap/5 acre) to know the range of pest incidence as well as to kill moth population Biological methods Trichograma pretiosum attacks on eggs of Heliothis. Release Trichogramma parasites @ (20,000/acre) Eucelatoria byrani; Carcelia illota attacks on larvae of Heliothis. Bacillus thuringenisis (soil bacteria) NPV (virus) Beauveria bassiana (fungi) Nomuraea rileyi (fungi) NPV: NPV 200 LE + ½ kg Jaggery + 200ml Sandovit (or) Teepal; mixing and spray in the evening hours only; NPV is more effective in cloudy weather.

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Termites This is caused by Odontotermes obesus Ramb or Microtermes abesi Heomgr. Termites are subterranean pests which are more common to the relatively dry tracts especially in sandy and sandy loam soils of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. These appear soon after sowing and damage both seed and seedlings. The attack may continue to the standing crop also especially during the period of drought. The attacked plants in younger stage wither away and die forth with, whereas the grown up plants die slowly. Such plants, if uprooted, will show the presence of termites and their galleries on damaged plants. The completely damaged plants are pulled easily.

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Various pests and their mode of damage Common Name Scientific Name Family Nature of Damage Surface Chrotogonus grasshopper Blanch O: Orthoptera F:Acridiidae Trychypterus Feeds on tender leaves, flowers and tender pods Small grasshopper Oxyavelox F. tcitarica L. do feeds on leaves Green Tobacco Grasshopper Attractomorpha crenulata F. do Feeds on leaves Grasshopper Eyprepochemis alacris S. do Feeds on tender leaves and growing tips   Catantops erubescens WIK. do Feeds on tender leaves and growing tips.   Ailopus simulatrix WIK. do Feeds on tender leaves and flowers   Acrotylus humbertianus S do Feeds on leaves and flowers   Cyrtacanthacris tcitarica L. do Feeds on leaves Field Cricket Liogryllus bimaculatus De C F: Gryllidae Feeds on developing pods and seeds   Gryllus Sp. do Seedling feeder     Order: Isoptera   Termites Odontotermes sp. Termitidae Damage tap root     Order: Hemiptera   Black Aphid Aphis craccivora Koch Aphididae Sucks sap from tender leaves flower stalks & pods Pea Aphid Acrythosiphon pisum (haris) do Sucks sap from growing tips, flowers and pods Mealy bug Ferrisiana virgato Coccidae Coccidae Sucks sap from leaves Mirid bug Crenotiades pallidifer(Wlk) Miridae Sucks sap Cow bug Tricentrus bicolor Dist. Membracidae Sucks sap     Order: Lepidoptera   Greasy cutworm Agrotis ipsilon (Hfn) Family: Noctuidae Cuts the whole plant or growing tips and feed on the leaves Cutworm A. flammatra Schiff do Cuts the stem and growing tips   A. biconica Kol. do Cuts the stem and the shoots   Euxoa spinifera (Hub) (=A. spinifera Hb.) do Cuts the plant at ground level   E. segetum schiff (=A. segetum Dennis and schiff) do Cuts the plant at ground Armyworm Mythimna separata (wlk) do Cuts the plant and feed on the leaves Green leaf caterpillar Azazia rubricans (Bosid) do Feeds on leaves and pods Semilooper Autographa nigrisigna wlk. do Feeds on leaves and whole pods   Plusia orichalces F. do Feeds on leaves and whole pods   P. signata F. do Feeds on leaves and whole pods   Chrysodeixis chalcites (Esp) do Feeds on leaves and flowers Tobacco caterpillar Spodoptera litura F. do Feeds on leaves   S.exigua (Hub) do Feeds on leaves Gram pod borer Helicoverpa armigera (Hub.) do Feeds on leaves, flowers and bores holes on the pod & eats away the seeds   H.assulta Cn do Feeds on leaves, flowers & pods Noctuid caterpillar Rhyacia herwlea C & D do Feeds on leaves Green leaf hopper Anticarsia irrorata (F) do Feeds on leaves Armyworm Cirphis loreyi Dup do Feeds on leaves Pea Pod Borer Etiella zinckenella (Triet) Phycitidae Feeds on pods Fig moth Caudra cautella (wlk) do Feeds on stored grain Blue butterfly Lampides boeticus (L) Lycaenidae Feeds on flowers, buds and pods Bihar hairy caterpillar Diacrisia obliqua(L) Arctiidae Feeds on leaves Hairy caterpillar Creatonotus gangis Linn. do Feeds on leaves Leaf Webber Lamporsema indicata F. Pyralidae Feeds on leaves     Order: Diptera   Gram stem miner Ophimyia cicerivora Spencer Agromyzidae Feeds on the stem Leaf miner Chromatomuia horticola (Goreav) do Larvae mine leaves and feed on green matter Pea leaf miner Phytomyza articomis (Meig) do Larvae mine leaves and feed on mesophyll     Order: Coleoptera   Gujhia weevil Tanymecus indicus F. Curculionidae Damages the seedling Weevil Tylopholis ballardi Mshll do Gnaws and scrapes young stem White grub Holotrichis consonguinea Blanch Melonthidae Feeds terminally on roots Pumpkin beetle Aulacophora foveicollis (Lucas) Chrysomelidae Feeds on leaves Chrysimelid beetle Luperodes Sp. do Feeds on seedling Soil beetle Gonocephalum elongatum F. Tenebrionidae Feeds on roots and young stem   G.depressum F. do Feeds on roots   G. dorsogranosum F. do Feeds on roots and stem Bruchids Callosobruchus chinensis(L) Bruchidae Feeds on stored seed   C. maculatus do do   C.phaseoli (Gylh) do do

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Integrated Pest Management Cultural Method Early sowing. Wider spacing of 45 cm rows. The plant has a physiological compensation therefore a density of 50 to 80 plants/m2 may not affect the yield. Intercropping with mustard, wheat, barley, linseed, safflower and sorghum tend to reduce the infestation. Ploughing just before chickpea sowing will destroy cocoons. Deep summer ploughing to expose the pupae of cut worm and pod-borer for natural enemies and scorching sunlight. Crops should be sown by second fortnight of October and it should be avoided after November. Mixed cropping with mustard or linseed is advised as it minimises the infestation of pod-borer. Resistant varieties like G 130 and C 124 are less susceptible to Heliothis armigera. Mechanical Method Use of pheremone trap for monitoring of adult male population. A threshold level of 5-6 moths/trap during March-April is recommended to start control operations. Mechanical collection and destruction can be successfully carried out only when the pest attack just starts in case of Heliothis armigera and gram semilooper and cut worms. Light traps are also used to control cutworms. Neem seed kernel extract (5%) is more effective. Biological Method 1. Pupa of Apanteles (wasp) parasite Helicoverpa armigera 2. Pupa of campoletis chlorideae, a parasitoid of Helicoverpa armigera 3. H. armigera larva effected by NPV 1 2 3 Various parasites like microbracon and Apanteles parasitize the caterpillars of gram cut worm and Trichogramma minutum has proved very successful as an egg parasite of Heliothis armigera in USA. Bacillus thuringiensis bacterium is also known to damage midgut of epithelium of Plucea orichalcea (Gram semilooper). Application of NPV 250 LE/ha also gives effective control against Heliothis armigera. The most important parasitoids of pod borer are Trichogramma chilonis. Chemical Method In cutworm prone areas presowing treatment of soil with broadcasting of chlorphyriphos (20 EC) 3 litre or lindane (20EC) 4 litre/ha in 10 kg of sand may be used to control the pest. Spraying 0.07% endosulfan 35 EC @ 3 litre /ha against Heliothis armigera and gram semilooper infesting the crop. Antifeedants Triphenyl tin hydroxide (TTH) and Triphenyl tin acetate(TTA) effectively deterred the caterpillars of Heliothis armigera from feeding. Brestan had been found effective against the larvae of cut worms. Advantage Of IPM Protects the environment from pesticidal pollution through air, water, soil and food chain system. Maintains ecological balance. Beneficial to public health. Well-suited for rural areas. Biodegradable. No residues. Essential for food processing industry, particularly for export. Enhance acceptability and value of produce for exports. Protects beneficial insects and natural enemies from hazardous effects of chemical properties. Minimises the chances of the development of insect resistance, to insecticides, pest resurgence and secondary pests. Economically viable and socially acceptable proposition.

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