Weather variability and its association with gram pod borer in Bundelkhand agroclimatic zone of Madhya Pradesh

Abstract

Field experiments during rabi seasons of 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-2021 were conducted at research farm of the college to evaluate the weather parameters association with gram pod borer population. Four popular chickpea cultivars (V1, V2, V3, V4) with three dates of sowing D1, D2, D3 were grown under irrigated conditions and daily weather data were recorded. The weekly populations of pod borer and their associations with weather parameters along with humid thermal ratio (HTR) were computed. The maximum, minimum temperature, rainfall were positively related with pod borer population. Relative humidity, sunshine hours and HTR were negatively related with gram pod borer population. The peak pod borer population was varied from 2.8/meter row length (MRL) to 5.2 MRL during the study period. The minimum temperature below 9°C accomplice with rainfall during the previous weeks influences the peak population of the pod borer. Seasonal as well as pooled data showed significant and positive correlation (2.65*) between minimum temperature and pod borer population. A minimum temperature above 9°C is suitable for peak population of pod borer (>3/meter row length). Date of sowing and seasonal changes are found to alter the association between weather parameters and pod borer population. It was found that the pod borer population is not only the limiting factor of yield but also the cultivar and date of sowing influenced the chickpea yield.