ICRISAT Public Awareness Series Legumes Entomology

Grain legumes are a valuable source of protein and other nutrients for the resource-poor people of the semi-arid tropics (SAT). This is why ICRISAT includes chickpea, groundnut, and pigeonpea in its mandate. However, the SAT climate encourages sudden outbreaks of the pest populations that can decimate these important crops. Research on developing methods of countering these pests involves: (a) breeding varieties with pest resistance that are adapted to the conditions of particular zones; (b) developing other methods of pest control based on a sound understanding of plant-insect-environment interactions; and (c) collaborating with other research specialists to optimize production processes at the farm leve