Efficacy of Insecticides and Biopesticides Against Gram Pod Borer <i>Helicoverpa armigera</i> (Hubner) in Chickpea Under Arid Conditions

A field experiment spanning two seasons was carried out to assess the effectiveness of various insecticides and biopesticides against pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera in chickpea cultivation. The results revealed that chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC exhibited the highest efficacy, followed by flubendiamide 480 SC, emamectin benzoate 5 SG and indoxacarb 14.5 SC in efficiently controlling H. armigera. In contrast, entomopathogenic fungi such as Verticillium lecani 1.15 WP and Beauveria bassiana 1.15 WP showed lower efficacy. Neem products, including Azadirachtin 3000 PPM and NSKE 5% exhibited moderate effectiveness. The highest yield and minimum pod damage were observed with chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC (18.50 q/ ha and 5.60%), followed by flubendiamide 480 SC (18.20 q/ ha and 7.10%), emamectin benzoate 5 SG (17.60 q ha-1 and 8.21%), and indoxacarb 14.5 SC (17.10 q ha-1 and 8.73%). However, plots treated with Verticillium lecanii 1.15 WP and Beauveria bassiana 1.15 WP resulted in the lowest yields (14.34 q ha-1 and 14.85 q ha-1) and highest pod damage (13.85% and 13.25%). These findings provide valuable insights for management of gram pod borer damage in chickpea cultivation and provide practical strategies for farmers to improve yield and profitability.