Effect of border crops on natural enemies of H. armigera (Hubner) infesting chickpea

The experiment was carried out on to study the effect of border crops on natural enemies of chickpea pod borer, H. armigera (Hubner) infesting chickpea. The activity of Hymenopteran natural enemies started from 4th meteorological week and remained up to 11th meteorological week (0.00-6.58 hymenopteran per five plants). The peak activity was in the 7th meteorological week (2.92-6.58 hymenopteran per five plants) whereas, maximum hymenopteran (6.58 and 4.00 per five plants) was observed in maize and marigold treatments. The activity of Coleopteran natural enemies was started from 4th meteorological week and remained up to 11th meteorological week (1.50-10.00 coleopteran per five plants). During this period lady beetles, Coccinella septempunctata and Cheilomenas sexmaculata were observed in the experimental plot. The peak activity (2.33-9.17 and 1.67-10.00 coleopteran five plants) was in 10th and 11th meteorological week treatment sorghum recorded maximum coleopteran 9.17 and 10.00 per five plants and was significantly superior over rest of the treatments. The spider population in different border crops during 4th to 11th meteorological week was in the range of 0.58 to 5.33 per five plants. The peak activity (0.83-4.83 and 0.58-5.33) was in 10th and 11th meteorological week where sorghum and maize recorded 4.83, 5.33 and 4.25, 3.50 spider per five plants, respectively.