Host preference of pulse beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis on different pulses

Abstract

The host preference of the pulse beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis, on seven different pulses viz, chickpea, kabuli chana, pigeon pea, green gram, cowpea, black gram and soybean was investigated in the laboratory at the Department of Agricultural Entomology, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal, during 2022 and 2023 under storage conditions. The results indicated that chickpea and green gram were the most preferred hosts, in respect to the total developmental periods (29.17 and 28.17 days), percentage of adult emergence (85.56% and 83.33%), fecundity (77.00 and 77.83 eggs), ovipositional periods (6.61 and 6.06 days), percentage of seed damage (92.00% and 91.33%) and weight loss (49.29% and 48.49%), respectively. There was no development occurred in soybean due to the failure of grub emergence from the eggs. Based on the percentage of grain damage and weight loss, the order of host preference by Callosobruchus chinensis was: Chickpea > Green gram > Cowpea > Kabuli chana > Pigeon pea > Black gram.