Screening of castor cultivars against capsule borer, Dichocrocis punctiferalis Guenee

Abstract

An experiment to screen 10 different castor cultivars against Dichocrocis punctiferalis was conducted during kharif season of 2011-12. On the basis of capsule damage at reproductive phase, GCH 2 (6.03%), GAUC 1 (7.08%), GCH 7 (9.16%), GC 3 (10.25%) and GCH 5 (11.00%) categorized into group of resistant, while GCH 6 (14.63%), GC 2 (15.85%) and ANDCI 8 (16.57%) were grouped into less susceptible categories. GAUCH 1 (20.43%) and GCH 4 (22.29%) were categorized into moderately susceptible group. Similarly, on the basis of damaged capsules at harvest, cultivars GCH 2 (8.55%), GAUC 1 (8.88%), GCH 7 (13.22%), GC 3 (16.65%), GCH 5 (17.32 %) and GCH 6 (18.59%) were categorized into resistant. GC 2 and ANDCI 8 recorded capsule damage of 21.22 per cent and 22.55 per cent, respectively were grouped into less susceptible. GAUCH 1 (27.97 %) and ANDCI 8 (22.55 %) were grouped into moderately susceptible. None of the cultivar characterized in to highly susceptible group on the basis of capsule damage at reproductive stage and at harvesting stage. Significantly highest (2943.41 kg/ha) seed yield of castor was registered in GCH 7 than all the tested cultivars. GCH 5 (2579.47 kg/ha) was the next best cultivar recorded significantly higher seed yield than rest of cultivars.