Response of different soybean genotypes against soybean tobacco caterpillar, Spodoptera litura (Fabricus)

Abstract

A study was conducted in the experimental farm of BAU, Ranchi during Kharif 2021 and 2022 in order to screen soybean genotypes for resistance against tobacco caterpillar using two replications. Thirty-five soybean genotypes along with two check varieties were arranged in RBD. The screening studies carried out with thirty-five genotypes against tobacco caterpillar resulted in the identification of some promising genotypes against pest. Among the genotypes, for the Kharif 2021, three genotypes (BAUS-110, BAUS-124, JS 97-52) were found to be resistant and in 2022 eight genotypes (BAUS-110, BAUS-124, BAUS-96, RCS-10-46, BAUS-119, BAUS-118, BAUS-BRNS-20, JS 97-52) were found highly resistant against tobacco caterpillar. On the basis of overall pooled mean of S. litura infestation, none of the thirty-five genotypes were free from the larval infestation, which ranged between 1.49 and 2.98 larvae/mrl. The lowest larval population was recorded in genotype BAUS-110 which remained at par with JS 97-52 (1.53 larvae/mrl), BAUS-124 (1.54 larvae/mrl), RCS-10-46 (1.54 larvae/mrl) followed by BAUS-96 (1.64 larvae/mrl).