Resistance of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Varieties to Gram Pod Borer (Helicoverpa armigera) in a Controlled Environment

The research was conducted within the controlled environment of the net house at the Faculty of Agriculture Science and Technology, AKS University, Satna (M.P.), during the Rabi season of 2023-24. Eight diverse chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) genotypes, viz. JG-63, JG-130, L-2, JG-14, RAJ-128, Narendran-2, Annagiri and RVG-202, were systematically screened to evaluate their resistance to the gram pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera) under protected conditions. The study was meticulously designed using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications to ensure robust statistical analysis. Throughout the critical vegetative, flowering and maturity stages, the larval population density of H. armigera was rigorously monitored across all genotypes at regular intervals. The comprehensive data analysis revealed that genotypes RAJ-128 and RVG-202 demonstrated superior resistance, exhibiting the lowest mean larval density of 0.25 and 0.29 larvae per 0.5 m², respectively, indicating their potential for integrated pest management in chickpea cultivation.