Efficacy of indigenous materials and new insecticide molecules against Maruca testulalis (Hubner) on blackgram.

Received : January, 2011 Accepted : March, 2011 Pulses constitute an integral part of Indian Agriculture because of major source of dietary protein of the large section of vegetarian population of the world. Besides their high nutritional value, pulse crops have a unique characteristic of maintaining and restoring soil fertility through biological nitrogen fixation and thus play a vital role in sustainable agriculture (Asthana, 1998). India is the largest producer and consumer of pulses in the world accounting for 33 per cent of world area and 24 per cent of world production. In India, the total area under pulses is 23.86 million hectares with a total production of 15.12 million tonnes and the average productivity is 638 kg per hectare (Anonymous, 2008). The important grain legumes grown in India are Bengalgram, redgram, greeengram, blackgram, cowpea, lentil and pea. Among them, blackgram (Vigna mungo) is the ancient and well known leguminous crop of Asia. The origin of cultivated blackgram is India and Central Asia.