As the infestation of pulse beetle starts from the field, the adult female lays eggs on the maturing pods. It is necessary to manage the pest in the field itself thereby delimiting the damage during storage. In present study efforts were made to identify most economical and feasible insecticides and botanicals for the management of stored grain pest which carry the infestation from field to storage. Field cum-laboratory experiment was conducted to study the effect of pre-harvest spray of insecticides and botanicals for the control of pulse beetle (Callosobruchus spp.) on chickpea at Seed Technology Research Unit, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola, during Rabi 2022. The experiment was laid out in the Factorial Randomized Block Design consisted of 15 treatments and three spraying schedules involving three replications. Number of eggs laid, adult emergence and percent seed damage by beetle differed significantly due to pre-harvest spraying of insecticides and different spraying schedules. The lowest number of eggs laid, adult emergence and percent seed damage was recorded in treatment Lambda-cyhalothrin 5% EC @ 16.6 ml/10 L followed by Indoxacarb 15.80% EC @ 6.6 ml/10 L, Emamectin benzoate 5 SG @ 3 g/10 L. In case of spraying scheduled lowest number of eggs laid, adult emergence and per cent seed damage were recorded in spraying at 50 % pod maturity and pod maturity as compared to others. In interaction effect significantly lowest number of eggs laid, adult emergence and per cent seed damage were recorded in pre-harvest spraying of Lambda-cyhalothrin 5% EC @ 16.6 ml/10 L at 50 % pod maturity and pod maturity stage to check the infestation of pulse beetle during storage up to three months.

Pre-harvest spray, insecticides, chickpea, and pulse beetle

From the above study, it was observed that infestation of pulse beetle in storage chickpea can be reduced by pre-harvest spraying of insecticides and botanicals in the field. Among the various insecticidal treatments, the number of eggs deposited by insects and the number of adult emergence and per cent seed damage were considerably lower in the insecticidal treatment i.e. Lambda-cyhalothrin 5%EC @16.6 ml/10. Spraying insecticides at 50% pod maturity and pod maturity stage (S3) recorded minimum number of eggs laid, number of adult emergence and per- cent seed damage. Treatment combination Lambda-cyhalothrin 5%EC @1 6.6 ml/10 L application at 50% pod maturity and pod maturity stage (T4S3) recorded significantly lower number of eggs, number of adult emergence, and percent seed damage by Callosobruchus spp.

Raj Laxmi Balmuchu, G.K. Lande and S.K. Bhalkare (2023). Effect of Pre-harvest Spraying of Insecticides and Botanicals against Pulse Beetle (Callosobruchus spp.) on Storage Chickpea. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(11): 537-542.