Identification of resistant cowpea sources for pod borer complex

Abstract

Eighty one cowpea accessions were screened under field conditions for resistance or tolerance to pod borers i.e., spotted pod borer, Maruca vitrata, gram pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera and blue butterfly, Lampides boeticus. The accessions were screened for three seasons i.e., kharif 2013, rabi 2013 and summer 2014. Among these, it was observed that the fifteen accessions showed stable resistance levels to all the pod borers and over all the seasons studied. VCP-09-022 was completely free from H. armigera; and VCP-09-025, VCP-09-028, CGD 195, CGD 15 and CP 2 showed <1% damage. Damage by M.vitrata was less (2%) in VCP-09-023 followed by VCP-09-022, VCP-09-032, CGD 195 and CP 2; and blue butterfly with <1% damage with the entries, VCP-09-022, CGD 195 and CP 2. Mean cumulative pod borer damage was 5% in VCP-09-022 (3%), CGD 195 (4%) and CP 2 (3.7%). The entries with multiple resistance to all the three pod borers were VCP-09-022, CGD 195 and CP 2.