Efficacy of various grain protectants against pulse beetle, callosobruchus chinensis (L.) infesting pigeonpea, cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp
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Date
2007
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CCSHAU
Abstract
Pigeonpea Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp. is one of the most important
pulse crop cultivated in India. It is next only to chickpea in area and
production among all the pulse crops grown in India. Pulses also
constitute the main source of protein in developing countries like India,
where per capita consumption of animal protein is very low. Pulses can be
stored for considerable periods of times after harvest but during storage
they may be attacked by various insect species. Among these the most
important one is pulse beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis (L.) mainly in
pigeonpea. Synthetic pesticides played a significant role in restricting
problems and were also cost effective. However, these chemical
insecticides pose several problems like residual toxicity and health hazards
to the consumers as well as users. The present investigations were carried
out to study the effectiveness of grain protectants i.e. neem seed kernel
powder @ 20g/kg, neem oil @ 10ml/kg, mustard oil @ 7.5 ml/kg,
groundnut oil @ 7.5 ml/kg, turmeric powder @ 3.5g/kg, mustard oil +
turmeric powder @ 3.75 ml + 1.75 g/kg, groundnut oil + turmeric powder @ 3.75 ml + 1.75g/kg, saw dust (7cm covering), sand (7cm covering),
dung cake ash (7cm covering) and wheat husk (7cm covering) against C.
chinensis and their effect on quality of pigeonpea seed variety Manak.
There were a total of 12 treatments and each treatment was replicated
thrice including untreated seeds as control and kept in plastic jars. All the
grain protectants except wheat husk, neem seed kernel powder and
turmeric powder proved to be more effective as compared to untreated
control for causing mortality of C. chinensis adults. As the storage periods
of treated seed increased, the mortality of adults decreased. All the grain
protectants except wheat husk and neem seed kernel powder proved to be
most effective as compared to untreated control in reducing number of egg
laid after 1, 45, 90 and 135 days of storage, respectively. On the basis of
number of adult emergence and per cent seed damage, all the grain
protectants except three protectants i.e. neem seed kernel powder, turmeric
powder and wheat husk treatments were highly effective and no adult
emerged from saw dust, sand, dung cake ash and neem oil treatments at all
storage intervals of 1, 45, 90 and 135 days of storage. This group followed
by mustard oil + turmeric powder, groundnut oil + turmeric powder,
mustard oil and groundnut oil proved to be the most effective and next
effective group of grain protectants, respectively. None of the treatments
had any adverse effect on standard germination which was above the
prescribed Indian seed certification standards for pigeonpea seeds. Dung
cake ash and turmeric powder treatments had adverse effect on seedling
vigour index when compare to all other treatments.