*Corresponding Author ________________________________________________ International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Advanced Vol. 1 (1) : 1-6. 2016 SEASONAL DYNAMICS OF HELICOVERPA ARMIGERA (HUBNER) ON CHICKPEA AND RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OF ITS LARVAL PARASITOID CAMPOLETIS CHLORIDEAE IN CORRELATION WITH WEATHER PARAMETERS Rohit Malik 1 *, Rakesh Kumar 2 , C.S. Prasad 3 and Rohit Rana 4 1,3 & 4 Department of Entomology, SVP University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut, (U.P.) 2 Division of Entomology, IARI, New Delhi Received-19.12.2015, Revised-30.12.2015 Abstract: The seasonal dynamics of Helicoverpa armigera and relative abundance of its larval parasitoid Campoletis chlorideae assessed in chickpea ecosystem. The highest mean larval population of H. armigera 22.33 larvae per meter length was observed during 13 th standard week. When the maximum and minimum temperature, 27.88 0 C and 16.17 0 C, respectively, and relative humidity 67.58 per cent and rainfall were 2.4 mm. Population growth of H. armigera was positively correlated to temperature while non significant negative correlation was recorded with relative humidity. However, C. chlorideae population build up has significant positive correlation with H. armigera population. Keywords: larval parasitoid, Helicoverpa armigera, Campoletis chlorideae, ecosystem INTRODUCTION hickpea (Cicer arietinum) is one of the most important pulse crop in India. It is cultivated on an area of 10.17 million ha with a production of 9.93 million tonnes, accounting for 30.9% and 39.9% of total pulse area and production. The main chickpea producing states are Andhra Pradesh (1235 kg/ha), Punjab (1226 kg/ha), Bihar (1182 kg/ha), Gujarat (1172 kg/ha) and West Bengal (1106 kg/ha) but in Uttar Pradesh the productivity of chickpea is low i.e. 930 kg/ha than other states (Anonymous, 2014). Various factors responsible for low production and productivity of chickpea are; poor genetic based, weeds, diseases and insects pests. Insect pests are the main constraints which limit the production of chickpea. Pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is the most prominent insect species that causes major economic damage to this crop. It is highly polyphagous pest attacks over 182 plants species including both widely grown and economically important crops as cotton, maize, tobacco, pigeon pea, chickpea and tomato etc (Gowda, 2005). The yield loss in chickpea due to pod borer was reported as 10-60 per cent in normal weather conditions, while it was 50-100 per cent in favorable weather conditions, particularly in the states where frequent rains and cloudy weather are prevailing during the crop season. It is estimated that H. armigera alone is responsible for losses over Rs. 35000 million annually in India despite heavy pesticide inputs (Kumar and Kapur, 2003). Interestingly, H. armigera alone accounts for the consumption of half of the total pesticides used in India for the protection of different crops (Suryavanshi et al., 2008). In India, the extent of losses due to H. armigera, in chickpea, is upto 27.9% in North West Plain Zone, 13.2% in North East Plain Zone, 24.3% in Central Zone and 36.4% in South Zone (Lateef and Reed, 1983). The crop has been noted to suffer an avoidable loss of 9 to 60% (Sithanantham et al., 1983). In U.P. alone 15.3% of the chickpea crop, worth Rs. 462.5 million, is lost annually due to H. armigera attack (Lal et al., 1983). Whereas in Karnataka and Delhi extent of loss due to this pest reported about 17.2% and 28.5% respectively, (Mishra and Saxena, 1981). Of late H. armigera has assumed serious proportions leading to an array of economical, political and social upheavals. 1987 and 1997 witnessed several farmer suicides in Andhra- Pradesh due to H. armigera attack on cotton, so much so that 1997-98 came to be known as „Helicoverpa year’ (Gupta and Deshraj 2003). There are several reports which showed that H. armigera has developed resistance to all the major insecticide classes and it has become increasingly difficult to control its population in India (Suryavanshi et al., 2008), because of a combined effect of decreased sensitivity to acetyl cholinesterase, higher levels of esterase, phosphates and the expression of P-glycoprotein in resistance larvae (Srinivas et al., 2004). On the other hand, H. armigera assumed major pest status across number of crops because of its high fecundity, migratory behavior, high adaptation to various climatic conditions. Although it attacks chickpea throughout the crop growth, the damage caused during flowering and pod formation stages results in substantial yield loss. Thus, for the management of this pest explorations are required to find out suitable tactics by understanding its biology in relation to weather parameters, which plays a vital role in population, C