Bore Agricultural Research Center, Ethiopia

Address for Correspondence: Deresa Shumi, Researcher I (Agronomist), Bore Agricultural Research Center, (BoARC) E-mail: deresashumi@gmail.com Tel: +251967474392

Submission: 04 October, 2023 Accepted: 22 December, 2023 Published: 26 December, 2023

Copyright: © 2023 Shumi D, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Keywords: Chickpea; Pod Borer; Helicoverpaarmigera; Insecticide; Net Return

Chickpea (Cicerarietinum L.) is the world’s second most important grain legumes after common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) among food legumes grown for production worldwide. Field experiment to evaluate and select the efficacy of insecticides for effective foliar spray against the pod borer in chickpea crop under field conditions. The experiment was conducted using two chickpea varieties; Dalota and Habru with six insecticides (Helerat 5% E.C at 400 ml/ha, Profit 72% E.C at 500 ml/ha, Perfecto 175 SC at 150-400 ml/ha, Con-fidence 35% at 250 ml/ha, Lipron 50 SC at 600 ml/ha and Highway 50 EC at 250 ml/ ha). The result revealed that Helerat was the most effective against pod borer on percent larval reductions. Helerate, Profit and Highway are more effective and reduced H. armigera larvae population by 56.67%, 51% and 45.62% on Habru variety respectively.Helerat resulted maximum seed yield 2349kg/ha and 2049 kg/ha for Dalota and Habru, respectively. The plot sprayed with Helerat gave the maximum net return birr 75102/ha and 78,525/ha for Dalota and Habru, respectively. Therefore, production of chickpea with the application of Helerate was most profit for economical production compared to other insecticides and recommended for the study area

Chickpea (Cicerarietinum L.) is a legume crop of the Fabaceae family originated in present day South Eastern Turkey and adjoining Syria (Sexena and Singh, 1987). It is the second most important food legume in the world after common bean. The major chickpea producing countries are India (67.41%), Australia (6.21%), Pakistan (5.73%), Turkey (3.86%), and Myanmar (3.74%) (FAOSTAT 2015) [1]. Ethiopia is considered as secondary center of genetic diversity for chickpea and the wild relative of cultivated chickpea (C. arietinum L.), is found in Tigray region (Yadeta and Geletu, 2002; Dagne et al., 2018) [2, 3]. In Ethiopia the area coverage and the volume of production of chickpea in 2018/2019 are 242703.73 ha and 4994255.5 quintal with average productivity of 2.05 ton/ha. It contributes 15.18% of Ethiopia’s total pulse production and is second after fababeans (CSA, 2018/2019). It has the ability to grow on residual moisture which gives farmers the opportunity to engage in double cropping, since chickpea is sown at the end of rainy season.

Chickpea (CicerarietinumL.) is the second most important cool season food legume crop after common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) followed by field pea (Pisumsativum) and third in production among the food legumes grown worldwide (Diapari et al., 2014; Benzohra et al., 2014). The average chickpea yield in Ethiopia on farmers’ field is usually below 20 q/ha although it’s potential yield is more than 50 q/ ha (Ejeta and Hussein, 2015; Melese, 2005; Zewdie, 2018b). A number of biotic and abiotic factors are responsible for high yield gaps. This resulted from susceptibility of chickpea landraces to frost, drought, water-logging, poor cultural practices and low or no protection against weeds, diseases and insect pests (Iqbal et al., 2014) [4]. Although more than 70 pathogens have been reported on chickpea from different parts of world

However, the production of chickpea is challenging because of different insect pests and diseases such as pod borers, cut worms, aphids, jassids, thrips, whitefly and the storage pests (bruchids) which are the most devastating pests of chickpea in Asia, Africa, and Australia. Among these gram pod borers H. armigera (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a serious obstacle and a global concern for the production of chickpea. This pest is a cosmopolitan, multivoltine and highly polyphagous, which attacks a number of crops which have agricultural importance throughout the world (Dabhi and Patel, 2007)[5]. Gram Pod borer, Helicoverpaarmigera (Hubner) is one of the major insect pests ofchickpea and has resulted in substantial yield loss (37-50%) and in severe cases up to 90% pod damage (Ahmed and Awan, 2013) [6]. Single larva can damage 40 pods and selectively feeds upon growing points and reproductive parts of the growing crop (Khan et al., 2009) [7]. The wider host range, multiple generations, migratory behaviour, resistance against many conventional insecticides and high fecundity makes gram pod borer difficult to manage. These losses can be reduced by the application of newer insecticides with different chemistry (Sreekanth, 2014 and Das et al., 2015) [8, 9]. Fitt (1989) [10] recorded the crops of maize, sorghum, cotton, common bean, peas, chickpeas, tomatoes, capsicum, vicia and to a lesser extent, okras, cabbages, lettuces, strawberries, tobacco, sunflowers, and many of the other legumes as host plants of the pest. It can cause damage up to 100% in unprotected chickpea fields (Tsedeke et al., 1982; Sarwar et al., 2009) [11, 12]. The chickpea economic threshold is one pod borer larva per one meter row length (Zahid et al., 2008).

Different management options have been practiced against pod borer in different areas and years. Cultural practices such as inter cropping, deep ploughing, trap crops and sowing date have been reported to reduce the survival and damage of H. armigera(Romeis et al., 2004). Extracts from different parts of neem tree (neem leaf, neem oil and neem seed kernel 5%) influenced negatively both the survival and feeding of the larva of H. armigera(Mesfin et al., 2012). Insecticides monocrotophos 36 WC, endosulfan 35 EC, carbaryl WP, cypermethrin 25 EC, indoxacarb 14.5 SC, Profenofos 50 EC and coragen 20 SP showed the highest mortality of H. armigeralarvae on chickpea (Iqbal et al., 2014) [4]. Mesfin et al. (2012) reported synthetic insecticides have resulted in fast and effective pest control. Keeping in view the severe attack of gram pod borer, the objective of the present study was aimed to evaluate and select the efficacy of insecticides for effective foliar spray against the pod borer in chickpea crop under field conditions.

The experiment was conducted at Adola sub-site of Bore Agricultural Research Center (BOARC), Guji Zone, Oromia Regional State in southern Ethiopia under rain-fed conditions during the 2016 cropping season (September-December). The site (55°36’31”N, 38°58’91”E, 1721 M) is located in Adola town in Dufa ‘Kebele’ just on the West side of the main road to Negelle town. It is located at about 463 km south from Addis Ababa, the capital city of the country.

The climatic condition of the area is a humid moisture condition, with a relatively shorter growing season. The area receives annual rainfall of 1084 mm with a bimodal pattern extending from April to November. The mean annual minimum and maximum temperature is 15.93 °C and 9.89 °C, respectively. The type of the soil is red basaltic soil (Nitisols) and Orthic Aerosols. The soil is clay in texture and moderately acidic with pH of around 5.88.

Two chickpea varieties, namely: Dalota (desi type) and Habru (Kabuli type were used. 150 Blended NPS kg ha-1 (19% N, 38% P2O5, 7% S) was used as sources of N, P and S, respectively, for the study. The treatments were factorial combinations of six insecticide (Helerat 5% E.C at 400 ml/ha, Profit 72% E.C at 500 ml/ha, Perfecto 175 S.C at 150-400 ml/ha, Con-fidence 35% at 250 ml/ha, Lipron50 SC at 600 ml/ha and Highway50 EC at 250 ml/ha) with and without spray and two Chickpea varieties (Dalota and Habru) under RCBD and replicated three times per treatment. The gross plot size was 3.0 m×2.4 m=7.2 m2. The spacing between blocks and plots was 1.5 m and 0.1 m, respectively. Each plot had 6 rows spaced 40 cm apart. The field was ploughed using oxen and harrowed manually to bring the soil to fine tilth. Normal agronomic practices were adopted for all treatments. Application of insecticide was started at the appearance of insect at their recommended doses. Two sprays of each insecticide were made during flowering and podding stage. Data were recorded four times for each treatment before and after application of insecticides.

Number of pod borer, damaged pods and total pods per plant were collected from eight randomly selected and tagged plants in each treatment. The yields were taken from the harvested net plot area excluding the borders. The infestation percentage and larval reduction was captured using the formula,

Eight plants were randomly selected from each plots and observation were recorded at 7 days intervals. The result revealed that insecticides were effective against pod borer even if they have different percent larval reduction. The data summarized in table 1 below revealed that all the treatments were significantly superior to control. The lowest number of pod borer per plant (0.6, 1.0, and 1.03) was recorded on chickpea treated with Helerate, Profit and Perfecto at all crop growth stage. They reduced larval population by 69.74%, 49.09 % and 43.5%, on Dalota variety. However, Helerate, Profit and Highway are more effective and reduced H. armigera larvaepopulation by 56.67%, 51% and 45.62% on Habru variety respectively. In agreement with this result, Zereabruket al., (2019) [13] reported that application of profit insecticide has reduced larval population by 54.76% in Laelay-mychew district, Tigray region. The present results revealed with findings by Dagne et al. (2018) [2] who reported that the highest pod borer larval reduction (90.63%) was found in Diazenon sprayed plot followed by Karate 5% EC (71.87%) sprayed plot. Similarly, Khan et al. (2009) [7]. conducted a trial against gram pod borer and to assess comparative efficacy of insecticides (thiodan 40EC, lorsban 40EC, ripcord 10EC, nurell-D (chlorpyrifos + cypermethrin 50 + 500 g/L EC) and methomyl 45 WP). Methomyl was found most effective against the tested pest under field conditions.

The data presented in Table-3 reveals that all the treatments yielded significantly higher over control. Helerate 5% E.C at 400 ml/ ha recorded significantly highest seed yield of 2349 kg/ha and 2049 kg/ha on Dalota and Habru respectively and was found statistically at par with Con-fidence; Highway, and Per-fecto (1667, 2026 and 1639 kg/ha yield, respectively). The minimum seed yield 997kg/ ha on unsprayed plot of Dalota. Maximum percent of seed yield (56.28%) was increased over check by Helerate on Dalota. The second maximum percent of seed yield (51.34%) was increased over check by Helerate on Habru. In agreement with this result, Dagne et al. (2018) who reported that the highest seed yield 2610 kg/ha, and Maximum percent of seed yield (68.58%) over check were found in Diazenon sprayed plot at ginnir.

The current study also showed that all insecticides were effective to reduce the number of damaged pods per plant compared to the untreated check. The highest number of effective pods per plant, lower damaged pods and infestation percentage were recorded

on insecticide applied with Helerate. Thus, application of Heleate gives the highest effective pods per plant (61.58), lower infestation percentage (11.3%) and minimum amount of Shriveled and discolored seed (26.23 g) with the highest seed yield (2349 kg/ha). Savita and Pandurang (2014) [14] reported that the lowest number of surviving population of larvae 0.70 larvae/plant, highest yield recorded 15.00 q/ ha, lower pod damage 8.10% were recorded on chickpea treated with rynaxypyr 20 SC at 40 g/ha

For dalota variety the result showed that Helerate sprayed plot provided the highest gross returns (ETB89262/ha) and the lowest gross return TB39026/ha was computed from untreated check. The plot sprayed with Helerate gave the maximum net return ETB 75102/ ha and gave the highest benefit cost ratio of (5.3). The unsprayed plot gave the minimum net returns birr 26566/ha and gave the lowest benefit cost ratio (2.31).

In other way, Helerate sprayed plot with Habru variety provided the highest gross returns (92205/ha) and the lowest gross return ETB 44865/ha was computed from untreated check. The plots prayed with Helerate gave the maximum net return ETB 78525/ha and also gave the highest benefit cost ratio (5.74). The unsprayed plot gave the minimum net returns ETB 324055/ha and gave the lowest benefit cost ratio (2. 60).

Therefore, production of chickpea with the application of Helerate was most profit for economical production compared to other insecticides.

The result revealed that Helerat was the most effective insecticide to give high mortality of pod borer on chickpea under field conditions. The most economic benefit for pod borer management was also obtained from Helerat sprayed plot and followed by Per-fecto sprayed plots. It has been indicated from the present studies revealed that insecticide Helerate was most effective and economic for controlling gram pod borer on chickpea and resulted in the maximum reduction percentage of larval population of pod borer.

Therefore, it is recommended that this effective insecticide were suggested to the growers/farmers or other stake holders for management of the pod borer population below economic threshold level under field conditions.