DETERMINATION OF EFFECTIVE DOSE OF CLOVE POWDER FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF PULSE BEETLE (CALLOSOBRUCHUS CHINENSIS L.) INFESTING CHICKPEA IN LABORATORY CONDITION

ABSTRACT: Pulse beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis L. is a major stored grain pest of Bangladesh and it is difficult to manage as infestation starts from the field. A laboratory study was carried out to protect the chickpea seeds in storage against C. chinensis by using clove powder as seed protectant at 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13 g kg-1 seeds of chickpea on the basis of adult mortality (%), number of eggs laid (%), adult emergence (%) and seed weight loss (%). Treated seeds did not show any egg on their surface and no adult was emerged when they were mixed with 9, 11 and 13 g clove powder kg-1 of chickpea seeds. Seed weight loss was lowest at 11 and 13 g powder kg-1 seeds, whereas the highest adult mortality (100%) was recorded at 9 and 13 g powder kg-1 seeds. In contrast, control seeds had maximum number of eggs laid (229.67), adult emergence (77.86%) and seed weight loss (30.38%) with the minimum adult mortality of 6.7%. It was found that total number of eggs laid, adult emergence (%) and seed weight loss (%) were markedly reduced whereas adult mortality increased with increasing the doses of clove powder. The results reported here that the clove powder could be a potential alternative option for pulse beetle management in chickpea storage. 

Keywords: Storage pest, pulse beetle, mortality, adult emergence, weight loss.