Assessment of losses due to pulse beetle in chickpea under stored conditions in Southern Haryana

Abstract

The present study was carried out with the objective of assessing the losses caused by pulse beetle (Callosobruchus spp.) during storage of chickpea grains in various storage structures. It was found that, still farmers are using traditional storage structures (earthen pots, earthen pots + sand, jute bags). Chickpea grain samples (500g each) were collected during August, September and October from different storage structures (metal bins, plastic bags, gunny bags, earthen pots and earthen pots + sand) in 15 villages of Rewari, Hisar and Mahendergarh district in the year 2017 and 2018. The results of analysed samples revealed that the highest infestation was observed in Rewari followed by Hisar and Mahendergarh district. It was found that maximum number of farmers were using metal bins (51.45, 40.11%) followed by gunny bugs (31.79, 31.64%), plastic bags (16.76, 15.82%), Earthen pots (6.51, 7.91%) and Earthen pots + sand (2.35, 4.52%) to store the chickpea grains in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Out of total samples infested with bruchid, 70.91 & 53.63 per cent gunny bag samples were found infested followed by plastic bags (48.28 & 20.29%), metal bins (11.24 & 15.94%) and earthen pots (9.80 & 10.14%) in both the years. There was no infestation of pulse beetle observed in those samples which were stored in earthen pots along with sand. Higher moisture percentage in the grain and infestation of pulse beetle was observed in the month of September followed by October in comparison to August month. Among the storage structures in frequent use, metal bins were found to have less qualitative and quantitative losses of seed/grains.

Diversity, Bio-ecology and population dynamics of insect pests of pigeon pea in eastern India

“…Among the biotic factor's insect pests, diseases and weeds are mainly responsible for crop failure. Worldwide, over three hundred fifty insect pest species were recorded in pigeon pea, of these, only about 66% of the insect pest species have been documented from India (Rolania et al 2021). The pigeon pea crop is damaged by more than 250 insect pests species but the major reduction of grain yields due to attack by H. armigera, M. obtusa, M. vitrata and C. gibbosa in various pigeon pea growing parts of the world (Shanower et al 1999;Srivastava and Nitin 2011).…”