Revalidation of Hanpv Doses Against Tomato Fruit Borer : Helicoverpa armigera Hubner

Tomato fruit borer, Helicoverpa armigera Hubner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a polyphagous pest of worldwide occurrence, inflicting annual crop damage in India worth US $ 1 billion. The problem of this pest is magnified due to its direct attack on fruiting structures, voracious feeding habits, high mobility and fecundity, overlapping generations with facultative diapause, nocturnal behaviour, migration, host selection by learning and genetic variability on different hosts. The insect viruses are of immense utility. Owing to their often pronounced host specificity and their high virulence to susceptible insect hosts, baculoviruses are considered to be one of the most efficient biocontrol agents for insects. Farmers are not certain which dose, is effective for suppression of this pest. So, in order to revalidate the effective dose, this investigation was carried out. We believe this contribution will go a long way in developing and offering rational pest management strategies for some of the major insect pests of prime crops in the tropical and subtropical parts of the world.