Study of the biology of the pesta grotis ypsilon rott (lepidoptera, noctuidae): its infestation and destruction on the crop cicer arietinum.a case studyat ramgarh (Jharkhand, India)

Protein is one of the main building unit of the cell and ultimately the life. It is abundant in nature. The cheapest and omnipresent natural source of protein as grain is Cicer arietinum commonly called as gram. It is consumed by the people as a main food items as well as the food supplement, the health supplement. The people of the world like it as the protein rich food grain. At the end of September the farmers of Ramgarh start to cultivate the gram in their field. The pestAgrotis ypsilon Rott, destruct the cropalso hatched at the time ofappearing of seedlings of Cicer arietinum. The pestis found around the world. In India the infestation on rabbi crops by this pest is common in winter season. Ramgarh (Jharkhand)is a plateau region where lack of proper irrigation restricts the cultivation of gram. Only few farmers cultivate the gram at restricted and irrigated field and earn a handsome money. This important and commercial crop is infested and destructed by the pest Agrotis ypsilon Rott, it damages the crop as well as the financial condition of farmers significantly.The present author deals with the study of the biology of the pest Agrotis ypsilon Rott. (Lepidoptera, noctuidae):Its infestation and destruction on the crop Cicer arietinum. A case study at Ramgarh (Jharkhand, India). It was observed that the experimental pest was a cold weather pest, its activity was maximum during September to March and completed 03 to 04 over lapping generations. The Caterpillar was the only destructive stage its activity was maximum during night. Only larvae damage the standing crops at night, it cut the foliage more than it devour. During day time they hide in cracks and crevices in soil. After fertilization the female moth oviposit creamy white dome shaped eggs singly or in cluster of about 20 to45 eggs. During night on the under surface of leaves of the host plant or on the moist soil under the host plant. After incubation of 02 to15 days eggs hatched out to small caterpillars feeding on their own egg shell and move like a semilooper. After disturbance the larvae turns C shaped and motionless for few minutes. The larvae attains its maximum size in 12 to 30 days and enters into cracks or crevices and form their earthen chamber and pupate underground. The pupal period varies from 08 to 30 days and the moth emerges out at night. The life cyclegets completed in 35 to80 days. The farmers of Ramgarh cultivate vegetables and crop throughout the year, they cultivate different types of vegetables and crops asper demand of the market. The crop Cicer arietinum is a cash crop, whole parts of the green plant is edible as green leaves, green soft pods, mature pods all the stage of cropattracts the people and always make it in the demand, the farmers use to sale it and get handsome price. The life cycle was studied during the year 2018 -2020 at Ramgarh .During the studyit was found that the life-cycle of the pest Agrotis ypsilon Rott.(Lepidoptera, noctuidae) was very simple. In summer season the pest pupa hidesunder 25 to35 mm incracks and crevices in the soil. There was an observation that the moth migrates towards cold region of hillsduring hot climate. Destruction of host plant by pest was 50 to 80%.Prevention from the pest was very difficult. The farmers were advised to control the pest by spraying the chemical pesticides as lindane 02% etc. The field should have been often flooded moderately. Various natural enemies e.g. moles, grubs, wasps, predaceous and parasitic flies destroyed the larvae of the pest were natural control of the pest population.