Screening of Black Gram Genotypes for Resistance to Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) in Southern Telangana, India

Black gram (Vigna mungo L. Hepper) ranks as the third most important pulse crop in India, but it is highly vulnerable to various insect pests throughout its growth. Among these, the whitefly is a prominent sucking pest. A study conducted during Rabi 2023 at the Student Farm, College of Agriculture, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, aimed to identify black gram genotypes resistant to whitefly. Twenty-eight genotypes were evaluated under field conditions using a whitefly leaf injury grade scale and a whitefly resistance index. The screening identified three resistant genotypes, six moderately resistant, fourteen moderately susceptible and five susceptible genotypes. The genotypes PU-31, TBG-104 and GBG-1 with the lowest whitefly populations per plant (2.81, 3.40, and 3.99, respectively), were classified as resistant. Whereas, the genotypes MBG-1240, MBG-1226, MBG-1221, MBG-1155 and MBG-207 with the highest whitefly populations per plant (7.71, 7.75, 7.79, 8.11 and 8.05, respectively) were categorized as susceptible.