Biology, Relative Parasitization of Larval Endoparasitoid <I>Campoletis cholrideae</I> Uchida on <I>Heliocoverpa armigera</I> Hübner under Sole and Chickpea-coriander Intercropping System

Abstract

The <em>Campoletis cholrideae</em> is a single most prominent parasitoid in chickpea for major pest <em>Heliocverpa armigera</em> under natural ecosystem. The purpose of present study was to investigate how weather parameters and cropping system influence on the biology, per cent parasitization in sole and intercropping system, under laboratory and field conditions. In sole crop, mean parasitism by <em>C. chlorideae</em> on the larvae of <em>H. armigera</em> during 2013 and 2014 was 60.61 %, 44.66 % respectively. Egg-larval and cocoon formation to adult emergence periods 10.16 ± 0.215, 4.25 ± 2.02 days respectively and female and male parasitoid could survive with a mean longevity of 4.50 ± 2.012 and 3.25 ± 1.85 days, respectively. Higher parasitism of 76.67% occurred on 8<sup>th</sup> collection of 11<sup>th</sup> S.W March and 60.67% on 1<sup>st</sup> collection of 11<span>th</span> S.W of March for respective years. The progeny of sex-ratio varied in two seasons, the mean sex ratio (M:F) were 1:1.62; 1:1.07 respective years in sole crop. In intercropping ecosystem, the overall mean parasitism by <em>C. chlorideae</em> on larvae of <em>H. armigera</em> during 2013 and 2014 with 76.96 %, 66.67 % respectively. Higher parasitism was observed (90 %) on 6<sup>th</sup> collection of 11<sup>th</sup> S.W March and 80 % on 1<em>st</em> collection of 11<sup>th</sup> S.W of March for respective years. However there was steep escalation in female sex ratio in chickpea-coriander cropping system when compared with sole crop. The overall mean sex ratio were (M:F) is 1:1.90; 0.98:1.0 respective years in chickpea-coriander intercropping. A correlation with abiotic factors revealed a non-significant positive correlation with maximum temperature, evening relative humidity (RH), rain fall and sunshine hours. There was a negative correlation between parasitism and minimum temperature and morning RH in respective years under sole crop. In case of intercropping system, the result elucidated that a significant positive correlation exist with evening RH and rainfall (r= 0.951; r= 0.900 and r= 0.926; r= 0.931) in respective years. These results suggested that different parameters, especially cropping system and temperature, were very important for the parasitism of <em>C. chlorideae</em> on <em>H. armigera</em>.