Abstract

The Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) attack several economically important crops in India, including cotton, pigeonpea, chickpea, sunflower, maize, chilli, tomato and okra. The current study examined the relative abundance of H. armigera on different host crops within a crop mosaic. Field studies conducted during 2016-17 at the Experimental Farm, College of Agriculture, Annamalai University, indicated differences in egg and larval densities among the different host plant species. All of the host crops supported eggs and larvae of H. armigera, but the populations on chickpea (3.36 eggs/plant and 1.59 larvae/ plant) and pigeonpea (2.77 eggs/plant and 1.30 larvae/plant) were significantly higher than on cotton and other host crops. The damage caused by H. armigera larvae was highest in chickpea (18.02 %) followed by pigeon pea (17.42 %). Thus, in kharif pigeonpea and okra crops and in rabi season chickpea appeared to be the major host crops for H. armigera

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