Behavioural studies of Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and its management in chickpeaLSrigirirajuauthorThe research activities entitled. " Behrvioural studies of Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) (Lepidoptera : Noctuidae) nnd its management in chickpea ",conducted during post-rainy season, 1999.2000. at International Crops research Institute for the Semi-arid Tropics, Patanchem location, Andhra Pradesh, India, indicated that, by the pheromone trap catches of Harmigeru males, the peal\ mo~h activity war found to he between 0200 and 0400h. The environmental factors temperature, humidity and wind velocity appear to have a marked effect on the moth catch but were ~uerely coincidental with the time of the night. The research conducted on the orientation and flight pattern towards the pheromone source in l?larmigern suggests that it consists of several distinct stages with deviation from a straight upwind path taking place largely in the vertical plane, with different fight patterns. The ovipositional prcfcrcnce of Harmigeru to flower color variation in pigeonpea have shown a remarkable preference towards yellow colored flowers (X3.3)to oviposit than to the red colored flowers (36) in the choice tests. Though the female laid less number of eggs (56.4) on the red color flowers than yellow (64) in no-cholce tests, the differences were not significantly different. All the treatments that were tested against H urmigerir were found to be significantly superior to the unspraycd plots. 111 managing die larval population of the pest. The effectiveness of various treatments on H.urmigeru were in the order of Endosulfan (37 percent reduction over control) followed hy TPM (30), NPV (27). Annona (28). Neem (22) and erecting bird perches (21). Endosulfan registered the lest percentage pod damage (?US), followed by IPM (22.6) as against the highest percentage pod damage in control (40.7) A nlaximum yield of 13.9 q ha "was obtained with endosulfan, but was on par ~71thIP M (13.6 q ha .') as against 8.5 q ha'' in the control plots IPM was adjudged as the most profitable way to manage the pest, with little inputs on pesticides, which recorded a cost-benefit ratio of 1 :9 followed by endoslllfan treatment (l:8.7), The studies on the fluctuation of H armigcrcr pest population revealed that the larval population attained two major peaks, at 68 and 90 days of crop age, which coincided with peak flowering and podding stages of the crop respectively.Chickpea2000Pondicherry University;Department of Ecology and Environmental SciencesThesis