Integrated management of insect pests of chickpea Cicer arietinum (L. Walp) in South Asian countries: Present status and future strategies - A review

This review and analysis has been focused on the major pulse chickpea Cicer arietinum L. Walp in order to provide discussion confined to only the major insect pests of this legume crop, those causing significant and frequent yield loss. Our intention is to bring forward and report the major efforts made in combating insect pest infesting chickpea in South and South-East Asia The poor masses in South Asian part of the world can not afford animal protein, therefore, the only commodities which could supplement protein requirement in their diet are the only pulses which contains sufficient amount of proteins and falls within purchasing capability of poor people. In author's view, an ever-growing population needs at least a proportionate increase in consumption of vegetable protein, and other nutritional requirements provided by food legumes including chickpea so as to balance a cereal-based diet. Scientists working in various institutions in this region undertook extensive studies and research to develop Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Integrated Crop Management (ICM) in order to reduce chickpea grain yield losses. This review highlights the IPM efforts on the use of Chemicals, eco-friendly approaches (use of natural pathogens, plants materials, agronomic practices and insect parasitoids etc.). Thus insect pest management options are viewed from a systems perspective to the farming enterprise. Examples of successful IPM approaches operating in farmers' fields have been sought, for their possible extrapolation to other situations. Admittedly, there are few examples of direct farmer involvement in evolution of IPM packages for food legume crops including chickpea. However, we do recognize the need to involve farmers themselves in the evolution and evaluation of IPM strategies and we hope that this assembly of information relating to IPM of chickpea will facilitate increased farmer-participatory IPM activities.