Week Of August Research Articles

Incidence of various insect pests and their seasonal history on chilli crop in Malwa region

The experiment entitled Incidence of various insect pests and their seasonal History on chilli crop in Malva region of Madhya Pradesh conducted during Rabi 2018-2019 and 2019 -2020 in the department of Entomology of School of agriculture at Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University of social science Mhow Indore (M.P.). during the year of 2018 - 2019 & 2019 - 2020, the data on thrips and mites population and per cent white fly, jassids and aphids infestation under field condition along with weather parameters viz., temperature (Maximum and minimum), relative humidity and rainfall are given in Observations recorded on thrips population revealed that activity of thrips started from second week of July (21SW) and continued up to the crop termination i.e. last second week of December. The maximum thrips population (6.77) was recorded. The observation recorded on mites population revealed that activity of mites started from second week of July (21 SW) and continued up to the crop termination i.e. last second week of December. The maximum mites population (5.45) was recorded. The maximum whitefly population (5.22) was recorded in 3rd week of August (25 SW) when maximum and minimum temperature and humidity respectively. The maximum aphid population (4.53) was recorded in 3rd week of August (26 SW) when maximum and minimum temperature and humidity respectively. The maximum jassid population (3.87) was recorded in 3rd week of August (38 SW) when maximum and minimum temperature and humidity respectively. The leaf curl infestation of 9.2 per cent was first observed in third week of July (21 SW), which increased gradually and reached a maximum of 23.00 per cent in the 8th week after transplanting during 28th SW, when the maximum and minimum temperature and relative humidity were recorded respectively.

Analysis of Second Wave of COVID-19 in Different Countries.

We analyse the evolution of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in several countries by using a logistic model. The model uses a regression analysis based on the least-squares fitting. In particular, the growth rate of the infection has been fitted as an exponential increase, as compared to a power law increase, reported previously in logistic models. The data shows that the increase in the exponent of the exponential increase is around 0.03 day^{-1}, with a standard deviation of 0.01 day^{-1}. The present results suggest that duration of the peaking of the second wave is almost same for several countries considered. The growth rate is also on the same order of several countries regardless of the total number of infections in a particular country. Since the decay of the growth rate is self-similar to that during the increase in the second wave of several countries, we can predict the end of the second wave in India. The model suggests that the second wave will end in the first week of August 2021, with a growth rate of 0.1% day^{-1} at that time.

Design and Impact of a Novel Otolaryngology Virtual Sub-Internship in the Time of COVID-19

Objective: To discuss the design and impact of a novel otolaryngology virtual sub-internship created as a substitute for the visiting electives that were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: A two-week virtual elective was designed and registered with the Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) program. The virtual elective consisted of two blocks held during the first two weeks of August and again during the first two weeks of September. A total of 12 medical students enrolled, 5 in August and 7 in September. Surveys were distributed at the beginning and end of the rotation to obtain feedback and assess impact.Results: Over the course of the rotation students participated in a total of approximately 60–70 hours of virtual interactive sessions including clinical and surgical lectures, resident Q&A panels, hospital and home virtual tours, alumni information sessions, faculty “Meet & Greets” and structural/organizational program overviews. Each visiting student delivered an end-of-rotation presentation to the department on a clinical topic or research interest of their choice. Post-rotation survey data suggests the virtual rotation was an important and meaningful opportunity for visiting students to better understand the program structure and culture. Students reported that the rotation was influential in the creation of their rank lists and should continue to be offered even after in-person sub-internships resume.Conclusion: Although there is no substitute for an in-person visiting sub-internship, a well-designed virtual elective can be an interactive, worthwhile and impactful alternative during these challenging times.

Standardization of time of budding and sweet orange cultivars on Carrizo rootstock

In sexual propagation of citrus long juvenility, genetic impurity and self incompatibility are the major problems. Hence the use of suitable rootstock is a pre-requisite in citrus propagation. Now a days, the cultivation of sweet orange is boosting up among citrus cultivation. Due to this, there is a great need for the evaluation of sweet orange cultivars onto an appropriate rootstock. A research trial was carried out in consideration with ‘Blood Red’, ‘Jaffa’ and ‘Valencia Late’ sweet orange cultivars T-budded on Carrizo rootstock at five different intervals of first week of July, August, September, October and February. The treatments were replicated thrice and statistically arranged in factorial randomized complete block design. As a result of the study significant variations were noticed in the performance of cultivars under study at various budding intervals. Out of the sweet orange cultivars ‘Blood Red’ was the first to initiate sprouting in 28.30 days with healing of bud union in 31.39 days, maximum survival (89.40%), plant height (22.93 cm), number of branches buddling-1 (1.14), leaf total nitrogen (1.89%), phosphorus (0.07%) and potassium (1.26%). Among budding intervals, the plants budded on the first week of September were the first to sprout in 26.46 days achieving maximum (23.04 cm) plant height, branches buddling-1 (1.15) root formation of (5.98 cm3) volume and survival percentage (91.99). Commercially, ‘Blood Red’ sweet orange cultivar budded in the first week of September can be cultivated for superior progeny.

When a typical jumper skips: itineraries and staging habitats used by Red Knots (Calidris canutus piersmai) migrating between northwest Australia and the New Siberian Islands

The ecological reasons for variation in avian migration, with some populations migrating across thousands of kilometres between breeding and non‐breeding areas with one or few refuelling stops, in contrast to others that stop more often, remain to be pinned down. Red Knots Calidris canutus are a textbook example of a shorebird species that makes long migrations with only a few stops. Recognizing that such behaviours are not necessarily species‐specific but determined by ecological context, we here provide a description of the migrations of a relatively recently described subspecies (piersmai). Based on data from tagging of Red Knots on the terminal non‐breeding grounds in northwest Australia with 4.5‐ and 2.5‐g solar‐powered Platform Terminal Transmitters (PTTs) and 1.0‐g geolocators, we obtained information on 19 route‐records of 17 individuals, resulting in seven complete return migrations. We confirm published evidence that Red Knots of the piersmai subspecies migrate from NW Australia and breed on the New Siberian Islands in the Russian Arctic and that they stage along the coasts of southeastern Asia, especially in the northern Yellow Sea in China. Red Knots arrived on the tundra breeding grounds from 8 June onwards. Southward departures mainly occurred in the last week of July and the first week of August. We documented six non‐stop flights of over c. 5000 km (with a maximum of 6500 km, lasting 6.6 days). Nevertheless, rather than staging at a single location for multiple weeks halfway during migration, piersmai‐knots made several stops of up to a week. This was especially evident during northward migration, when birds often stopped along the way in southeast Asia and ‘hugged’ the coast of China, thus flying an additional 1000–1500 km compared with the shortest possible (great circle route) flights between NW Australia and the Yellow Sea. The birds staged longest in areas in northern China, along the shores of Bohai Bay and upper Liaodong Bay, where the bivalve Potamocorbula laevis, known as a particularly suitable food for Red Knots, was present. The use of multiple food‐rich stopping sites during northward migration by piersmai is atypical among subspecies of Red Knots. Although piersmai apparently has the benefit of multiple suitable stopping areas along the flyway, it is a subspecies in decline and their mortality away from the NW Australian non‐breeding grounds has been elevated.

SARS-CoV-2: The Second Wave in Europe.

Although the SARS-CoV-2 virus has already undergone several mutations, the impact of these mutations on its infectivity and virulence remains controversial. In this viewpoint, we present arguments suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 mutants responsible for the second wave have less virulence but much higher infectivity. This suggestion is based on the results of the forecasting and mechanistic models developed by our study group. In particular, in May 2020, the analysis of our mechanistic model predicted that the easing of lockdown measures will lead to a dramatic second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak. However, after the lockdown was lifted in many European countries, the resulting number of reported infected cases and especially the number of deaths remained low for approximately two months. This raised the false hope that a substantial second wave will be avoided and that the COVID-19 epidemic in these European countries was nearing an end. Unfortunately, since the first week of August 2020, the number of reported infected cases increased dramatically. Furthermore, this was accompanied by an increasingly large number of deaths. The rate of reported infected cases in the second wave was much higher than that in the first wave, whereas the rate of deaths was lower. This trend is consistent with higher infectivity and lower virulence. Even if the mutated form of SARS-CoV-2 is less virulent, the very high number of reported infected cases implies that a large number of people will perish.

Personal resilience and its influence on COVID-19 stress, anxiety and fear among graduate students in the Philippines

The COVID-19 pandemic is putting new and unforeseen pressures and has resulted in substantial disruption in the lives of the people across the globe. Although there is a budding body of literature on the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and psychological well-being, little research has been published among Filipino Graduate students in the context of a pandemic. This descriptive-correlational, cross-sectional research examined the relationship of resilience on COVID-19 perceived stress, anxiety, and fear. Two-hundred and three Graduate students participated in the online survey conducted in the last week of August 2020. Four self-reported questionnaires were used to gather the data. Descriptive statistics and correlational analysis were performed. Results indicated that the composite scores of the COVID-19 stress, anxiety, and fear were 2.81 (SD=.605), 3.94 (SD=.686), and 3.03 (SD=1.004) respectively. The composite score on the resilience scale was 3.33 (SD=.496). COVID-19 stress and fear had significant inverse correlation with resilience. Resilience has a protective influence on COVID-19 fear and is pivotal to cope with COVID-19 stress. Educational institutions may need to cultivate and harness the resilient trait of Graduate students in the midst of pandemic and other stressful events to help combat negative mental states and undesirable psychological consequences.

Seasonal surveillance of mosquitoes in three different habitats in Gyeongbuk Province, Republic of Korea, 2017–2019

AbstractMosquitoes were collected biweekly from March to November for 3 years (2017–2019) in three different habitats, including a migratory bird refuge, cowshed, and an urban area. Among a total of 22,783 female mosquitoes comprising six genera and 13 species collected for 3 years, Aedes vexans nipponii (56.08%) was the dominant species, followed by Culex pipiens complex (14.26%), Anopheles spp. (11.57%), Culex orientalis (6.90%), Aedes albopictus (4.66%), Armigeres subalbatus (4.06%), and Culex tritaeniorhynchus (1.41%); the remaining six species comprised only 1.1% of all mosquito species collected. In the three habitats, 70.42% of mosquitoes were collected in the migratory bird refuge, whereas 10.68% and 18.90% were investigated in the cowshed and urban areas, respectively. The dominant species were Ae. vexans nipponii in the migratory bird refuge, Anopheles spp. in the cowshed, and Cx. pipiens complex in the urban area. The seasonal distribution of mosquitoes showed that most were obtained between May and September, with bimodal peaks in the third week of June and third week of August. Meteorological analysis revealed a high correlation between temperature and mosquito abundance. In the flavivirus detection analysis, no virus‐transmitting infectious diseases were amplified by PCR, but the Chaoyang virus was found in Ae. vexans nipponii. Considering that global warming is a major risk factor for the spread of vector‐borne diseases and that mosquito has been a fatal vector of infectious disease, our study of surveillance and analysis of seasonal/environmental mosquito population dynamics are essential for public health.

Virtual interlining within the European airport network: An airfare analysis

Virtual interlining, which covers the actively marketed or ‘non-hidden’ segment of all potential self-connecting flight itineraries, is often assumed to be a money-saving travel strategy. In this paper we assess the price difference between virtual interlined and ‘traditional’ flight itineraries within the intra-European airport network. We query Kiwi.com's recently developed Tequila platform, one of the few specialised online travel agencies (OTAs) offering both ‘traditional’ and virtual interlined flight itineraries, to obtain information on all available flights in the first week of August, October and December 2019. Using a series of sign tests, we investigate whether a statistically significant fare difference exists between the cheapest available (direct and/or indirect) ‘traditional’ and virtual interlined flight itineraries. Our results indicate a statistically significant fare difference between the cheapest indirect ‘traditional’ and the virtual interlined flight itineraries in favour of the latter. However, with regard to direct traditional flight itineraries the results are mixed. We explore the size and the scope of these patterns in more detail, and outline possible avenues for further research.

Population dynamics and damage status of the dusky cotton bug, Oxycarenus hyalinipennis Costa (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) in cotton in Çukurova region of Turkey

The dusky cotton bug, Oxycarenus hyalinipennis (Costa) (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) is a common insect species in cotton fields of the Eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey during the critical developmental period of the plants (i.e. squaring-boll formation period). Although the adults of the pest are mostly detected in young squares and bolls of cotton plants, its damage status on them is not yet known. With this study, the population dynamics and damage status of the O. hyalinipennis were investigated in a cotton field in Adana Province, Turkey in 2017 and 2018. Oxycarenus hyalinipennis adult population density increased after mid-July on the square, flower, and green bolls, and then it decreased after the first week of August. The females started to lay eggs in a period close to the opening of the mature green bolls. The population density of nymphs was higher when the mature green bolls were opened (in September). Adults were mostly found in squares (30.37% and 34.44% in 2017 and 2018, respectively) or green bolls (35.19% and 27.16% in 2017 and 2018, respectively), while nymphs were mostly found in opened bolls (65.03% and 57.45% in 2017 and 2018, respectively). With the cage trials, it has been found that adult females did not cause any damage to squares and green bolls. It has been commented that the presence of adults in these generative organs may be its behavioral characteristic rather than its feeding on these plant parts.

Seasonal abundance of the most important insect pests of maize and their natural enemies in Egypt

The experiment was conducted to study the seasonal abundance of the most important insect pests of maize and its relation with natural enemies and weather factors in Assiut governorate during 2019 and 2020 seasons.The samples were examined from June to September to determine the population of Limothrips cerealium (Haliday, 1836), Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch, 1856) and Sesamia cretica Lederer, 1857 and its the associated predators. The population of L. cerealium recorded a peak in the 4th week of July 2019 and the 1st week of August 2020. The highest population of R. maidis occurred in 1st week of September at both seasons. The simple correlation and regression between L. cerealium population and three weather factors were insignificant in both seasons while S. cretica population were found to be significant with R.H%. The population of R. maidis in the 1st season was insignificant negative with temperatures but was significant in the 2nd season. The plant age was more effective than the weather factors on the population of the three insect pests. The common predators were Orius albidipennis (Reuter, 1884) and Scymnus interruptus (Goeze, 1777)which were highly significant with all three insect pests.

Estimating incidence of infection from diverse data sources: Zika virus in Puerto Rico, 2016.

Emerging epidemics are challenging to track. Only a subset of cases is recognized and reported, as seen with the Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic where large proportions of infection were asymptomatic. However, multiple imperfect indicators of infection provide an opportunity to estimate the underlying incidence of infection. We developed a modeling approach that integrates a generic Time-series Susceptible-Infected-Recovered epidemic model with assumptions about reporting biases in a Bayesian framework and applied it to the 2016 Zika epidemic in Puerto Rico using three indicators: suspected arboviral cases, suspected Zika-associated Guillain-Barré Syndrome cases, and blood bank data. Using this combination of surveillance data, we estimated the peak of the epidemic occurred during the week of August 15, 2016 (the 33rd week of year), and 120 to 140 (50% credible interval [CrI], 95% CrI: 97 to 170) weekly infections per 10,000 population occurred at the peak. By the end of 2016, we estimated that approximately 890,000 (95% CrI: 660,000 to 1,100,000) individuals were infected in 2016 (26%, 95% CrI: 19% to 33%, of the population infected). Utilizing multiple indicators offers the opportunity for real-time and retrospective situational awareness to support epidemic preparedness and response.

Access to sexual healthcare during New Zealand’s COVID-19 lockdown: cross-sectional online survey of 15–24-year-olds in a high deprivation region

BackgroundNew Zealand’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic involved a nationwide stay-at-home lockdown in March–April 2020 that restricted access to primary healthcare services.MethodsAn online survey of 15–24-year-olds in a high deprivation...

COVID-19 outbreak and Urban dynamics: regional variations in India.

India was the second highest COVID-19 affected country in the world with 2.1 million cases by 11th August. This study focused on the spatial transmission of the pandemic among the 640 districts in India over time, and aimed to understand the urban-centric nature of the infection. The connectivity context was emphasized that possibly had inflicted the outbreak. Using the modes of transmission data for the available cases, the diffusion of this disease was explained. Metropolitans contributed three-fourths of total cases from the beginning. The transport networks attributed significantly in transmitting the virus from the urban containment zones. Later, there was a gradual shift of infections from urban to rural areas; however, the numbers kept increasing in the former. The massive reverse migration after lockdown spiked the infected cases further. Districts with airports reported more with influx of international passengers. A profound east–west division in April with higher infections in the southern and western districts existed. By mid-May eastern India saw a steep rise in active cases. Moran’s I analysis showed a low autocorrelation initially which increased over time. Hotspot clustering was observed in western Maharashtra, eastern Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and around Kolkata by the second week of August. The diffusion was due to travel, exposure to infected individuals and among the frontline workers. Spatial regression models confirmed that urbanization was positively correlated with higher incidences of infections. Transit mediums, especially rail and aviation were positively associated. These models validated the crucial role of spatial proximity in diffusion of the pandemic.

Pediatric COVID-19 Cases Prelockdown and Postlockdown in Italy.

* Abbreviation: COVID-19 — : coronavirus disease 2019 In Italy, 15.8% of the residents are children <18 years old: specifically, 1.4% from 0 to 1 years of age, 4.1% from 2 to 6 years of age, 5.6% from 7 to 12 years of age, and 4.8% from 13 to 17 years of age. Fewer cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been reported in children <18 years of age than in adults.1 However, recent data indicate that the number and rate of pediatric cases are steadily increasing. During the lockdown phase, the incidence of COVID-19 was underestimated in children because of a lack of widespread testing and the priority of testing given to adults and patients with severe illness, whereas, now, the testing of mild and asymptomatic cases is leading to an increase in confirmed cases. The objective of the current study is to evaluate, before school starts, the impact of … Address correspondence to Stefania Bellino, PhD, Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanita, viale Regina Elena, 299, 00161 Rome, Italy. E-mail: stefania.bellino{at}iss.it

Atmospheric river linked to extreme rainfall events over Kerala in August 2018

A multi-day atmospheric river (AR) in the second week of August 2018 was pivotal in causing extreme precipitation over south-west coast of India that eventually lead to record-breaking floods in the state of Kerala. Integrated water vapor transport (IVT) analysis depicted an intense and long-duration CAT 5 atmospheric river stretching from the Arabian Sea across South India into the Bay of Bengal. A high-pressure ridge over the eastern Arabian Sea and western India and a trough over the Bay of Bengal forming a subsection of monsoon wave-train was observed ahead of the flood event. The monsoon trough was exacerbated by the synchronous effect of a polar westerly jet trough that created an anomalous low-pressure region covering central and eastern India and a quasi-stationary depression over the Bay of Bengal. The system favored continuous supply of moisture from the Indian Ocean into Kerala. To locate major sources of moisture, the air parcels that rained out to generate extreme precipitation are tracked backwards using the Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory model (HYSPLIT). The backward trajectory analyses reveal that on 13th August more than 60% of the moisture was contributed from the Central-Eastern Indian Ocean, with some intermittent contributions from the Arabian Sea; while on 14th–16th August, about 25–30% was contributed from the Arabian Sea

COVID-19 Essentials: Preparing Health Care Professionals before the Pandemic Spread in Kerala, India

Background: In Kerala, an Indian State, COVID-19 treatment was restricted to government hospitalstill the first week of August 2020. There was a suggestion to involve private hospitals if the diseasespreads fast and wide. Three quarters of the healthcare delivery in the state is by private health careproviders.Methods: The hospital administration decided to train different levels of health care workers (HCW) incaring COVID-19 patients along with measures to remain safe from the disease. This was a mandatorytwo hours online training session covering the necessary topics as per the Guidelines of World HealthOrganisation (WHO) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Post test was conducted basedon the knowledge acquired during the programme, general awareness as a medical professional andmedia reports that a medical personal should follow.Conclusion: The response from doctors was 73.7% (out of 559).More response was from the interns(96.4%). All the respondents appeared for the post test and 93.4% secured marks above the cut offlevel of 75%. The participation and high percentage of success rate shows the interest of medicalprofessionals to step up their skill, especially when they face a new challenge.

Trends in emergency transportation due to heat illness under the new normal lifestyle in the COVID-19 era, in Japan and 47 prefectures

In Japan, in response to the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), a ‘new normal’ in the era of the COVID-19 was proposed by the government, which calls for thorough wearing of masks as an infection control measure in the era of the COVID-19, but related heat illness has been a great concern this summer. We applied quasi-Poisson regression models to the daily number of emergency transportations due to heat illness from 2008 to 2020 from the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan, to estimate the expected weekly number of emergency transportations from heat illness, with adjustment for their long-term trend and the weather conditions, including temperatures. We found that, at the national level, the number of heat illness emergency transports did not significantly increase or decrease from the annual trend in 2020. By prefecture, on the other hand, there were some prefectures in which the number of heat illness emergency transports was less than the average year, and most of them were in the week of August 10–16. By age group, the number of heat illness emergency transports in the 0–17 and 18–64 age groups was particularly low in some prefectures, and by severity, those in mild cases was particularly low. A caution is necessary that there is a possibility that a decrease in cases possibly associated with COVID-19 measures, such as, outdoor activity restrictions at schools/universities and cancellation of public events, may offset the possible increase in heat illness cases occurring elsewhere associated with wearing masks. Given that the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is not expected yet, continuous and appropriate awareness-raising activities to prevent heat-related illness remain important.

Seasonal incidence of major insect pests infesting brinjal (Solanum melongena) crop in Udaipur, India

A field trial was conducted to find out the seasonal incidence of major insects pests of brinjal during August to December at Horticulture Farm, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Udaipur. The investigation revealed that the incidence ofjassid (Amrasca biguttula biguttula Ishida) and white fly (Bemisia tabaci Gennadius) commenced after third week of August. The population of jassids touched the peak (15.87 jassids per 5 plants) during 1st-7th October at 28.25°C mean temperature and 65.65% relative humidity, whereas whiteflies reached the peak level during the 24th-30th September (34.76 white flies per 5 plants) with 25.55°C temperature and 65.20% relative humidity. The minimum population ofjassids and white flies were observed during the beginning of December (1.54 jassids per 5 plants) with 20.50°C temperature and 50.25% relative humidity and third week of August (1.43 white flies per 5 plats) at 26.45°C temperature and 73.8 relative humidity, respectively; whereas the incidence of brinjal shoot and fruit borer (Leucinodes orbonalis Guenee) appeared last week of September with 8.34% infestation on fruits at 25.55°C mean temperature and 65.20% relative humidity and incidence reached the maximum level (67.45%) during the last week of October with 24.4°C temperature and 48.25% relative humidity. The population of jassids and shoot and fruit borer was found non-significant negatively correlated with average relative humidity but jassids population positively correlated with temperature, whereas whiteflies population showed a positive significant correlation with relative humidity but non significantly negative correlation with temperature.

Field assessment of blackgram (Vigna mungo L. Hepper) genotypes against major insect pests in subtropical region of Nepal

Direct damage due to insect pests is one of the major causes limiting the yield potential of blackgram (Vigna mungo L. Hepper) in Nepal. A total of 17 blackgram genotypes were screened for resistance to major insect pests, including aphid (Aphis craccivora Koch.), whitefly (Bemisia tabaci Genn.), hairy caterpillar (Spilosoma obliqua Walker) and pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera Hubner) in National Maize Research Program, Rampur, Chitwan during summer season of 2018 and 2019. The design of the experiment was randomized complete block having three replications. Genotypes were sown on first week of August in a unit plot size of 4 rows of 2 m long with 40 cm row to row spacing and continue plant to plant spacing was maintained and net harvested plot was 3.2 square meters. The recommended dose of fertilizer was 20:40:20 N:P2O5:K2O kg/ha and seed rate 25 kg/ha. The package of agronomic practices was followed as per national recommendation. Data on insects were collected by counting the number of insects per plant. The yield and yield components were recorded at harvest. All screened genotypes differed significantly (p&lt;0.05) for insect population, yield and yield components. From two years field data, three genotypes BLG0069-1, BLG0036-1 and BLG0079-1 had lower number of above mentioned insect populations, exhibited more resistant in both years and produced higher grain yield (~1.5 t/ha) than other genotypes. These genotypes might be useful for the development of major insect pest tolerant high yielding blackgram variety in subtropical region of Nepal.