Cost: Benefit analysis of botanicals and insecticides against gram pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera Hub.) in chickpea

The present studies on incremental cost: benefit analysis of botanicals and insecticides were carred out at Students’ Instructional Farm (SIF) of Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture & Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya, India, during Rabi 2022-23 and 2023-24 with nine treatments viz.T1- NSKE 5%, T2 - Custard Apple leaf 5%, T3 - Dashparni Ark 5%, T4 - HaNPV 250 LE/ha, T5- Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt.) 1000 ml/ha, T6- Spinosad 45 SC 150 ml a.i./ha, T7 - Emamectin benzoate 5% SG 220 g a.i./ha, T8 - Flubendiamide 39.35 % SC 100 ml a.i./ha and T9 - Control (Water spray). The economic of insecticides and botanicals against gram borer in chickpea was investigated, and when the data from both year of experiment were combined, it was concluded that Emamectin benzoate 5% SG @ 220 g a.i./ha (1:4.70) was the most effective insecticide among all the treatments, with maximum population reduction over control. Flubendiamide 39.35 SC @ 100 ml a.i./ha was the second best treatment gram pod borer. Among the botanicals NSKE @ 5% (1:1.32) was the most efficient against gram pod borer infestation in chickpea and could be as an eco-frendly alternative to conventional pesticides of gram pod borer management in chickpea.