GENOTYPICAL VARIATIONS AND ASSOCIATION BETWEEN GRAM POD BORER (HELICOVERPA ARMIGERA) AND PHYSIO-MORPHOLOGICAL TRAITS IN GRAM (CICER ARIETINUM L.)

Abstract

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) commonly known as gram is a widely cultivated grain legume crop in the Leguminosae (Fabaceae) family. Gram pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera) is known as the most damaging pest of chickpea that damages various parts of plants at different growth stages. Various physio-morphological characteristics tend to affect the infestation of pod borer as pod wall thickness, pod trichomes density, and pod color. For this purpose, research was conducted in the field area of Entomological Research Institute, AARI, Faisalabad. Nine Kabuli chickpea genotypes i.e. PCK-15001, PCK-15019, PCK-16010, PCK-16027, PCK-17001, PCK-17007, PCK-17018, PCK-17030, and NOOR-2019 were sown under RCBD design having three replications. The results showed that the genotype “PCK-17030” had a significantly highest population of pod borer of 0.97larvae/plant and showed the highest pod damage of 7.39% while the genotype“PCK-16027” was the lowest infested with 0.69 larvae/plant of pod borer. On the other hand, the genotype “Noor-2019” showed the lowest pod damage of 6.42%. It is, therefore, concluded that pod wall thickness and density of pod trichomes had a negative relation to the damage of pod borer. As regards pod color, it was observed that there was the maximum pod borer damage in the genotypes having green colored pods as compared to the genotypes having pods with yellowish brown streaks.