FIELD SCREENING OF CHICKPEA GENOTYPES AGAINST POD BORER

Twenty genotypes (14 lines and 6 released varieties) of chickpea were evaluated in natural infestation condition at the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Ishurdi, Pahna, Bangladesh during the rabi season of 2003-04. The parameters used for evaluating these genotypes were relative pest pressure index (RPPI), relative intensity of damage index (RPPI), relative productivity index (RPI), and yield. None of the genotypes could exhibit complete resistance to pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner). Considering overall performance ICCV-98939, ICCV-95138, ICCV-96020, ICCV-97004, BCX-91042-3, and BCX-91040-3 rated a more tolerant to pod borer attack in comparison to check (BARI Chola-5). Of them, ICCV-95138 was the best considering resistance and yield. ICC-4918 was the most susceptible. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) also known as gram is one of the important pulse crops in Bangladesh. It is attacked by eleven species of insect pests (Rahman et al., 1982). Among these pests, the pod borer, Helicoverpa (= Heliothis) armigera (Huhner) is the most serious one in most of the chickpe