Biology and Management of Key Insect Pests of Pulse Crops
BIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT OF KEY INSECT PESTS OF PULSE CROPS
Bishwajeet Paul
Division of Entomology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110012.
Pulses are defined as the dried edible seeds of cultivated legumes. The English word pulse is originated from the Latin word ‘puls’, meaning pottage or thick pap. They belong to the family Leguminosae and include peas, beans and lentils. The edible pulses constitute a large group of various species that are capable or surviving in very different climatic and soil conditions. Use of pulses as human food have been reported from ancient times and traces have been found in archaeological sites of both the Old and New Worlds and they appear to have been among the earliest domesticated plants. These findings indicate an almost simultaneous arrival of cereals and pulses around 10,000 BC. Today pulses are cultivated in all parts of the world, and they occupy an important place in human and animal diet. Pulses in different forms make more important contribution to the diet of all classes of society in the East than in the West. In India especially, people who are mostly vegetarian depend largely on cereals arid pulses as their staple food, which serve as the main source of dietary protein and energy.
Pulses are reported to contain more protein than any other edible plant species and they serve as a low-cost protein to meet the needs of the large section of the people. Their low moisture content and hard testa or seed coat permit storage over long periods. Some of the pulse crops are grown for their green edible pods and unripe seeds. Nutritionally, immature fruits have distinctly different properties to those of the mature seed, the protein content is lower but they are relatively richer in vitamins and soluble carbohydrates. Pulses are commonly used as dehusked, decorticated and whole seed, as dhal and taken with chapattis and cooked rice. They are also used in the form of flour such as that of chickpea, known
Bishwajeet Paul
Division of Entomology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110012.
Pulses are defined as the dried edible seeds of cultivated legumes. The English word pulse is originated from the Latin word ‘puls’, meaning pottage or thick pap. They belong to the family Leguminosae and include peas, beans and lentils. The edible pulses constitute a large group of various species that are capable or surviving in very different climatic and soil conditions. Use of pulses as human food have been reported from ancient times and traces have been found in archaeological sites of both the Old and New Worlds and they appear to have been among the earliest domesticated plants. These findings indicate an almost simultaneous arrival of cereals and pulses around 10,000 BC. Today pulses are cultivated in all parts of the world, and they occupy an important place in human and animal diet. Pulses in different forms make more important contribution to the diet of all classes of society in the East than in the West. In India especially, people who are mostly vegetarian depend largely on cereals arid pulses as their staple food, which serve as the main source of dietary protein and energy.
Pulses are reported to contain more protein than any other edible plant species and they serve as a low-cost protein to meet the needs of the large section of the people. Their low moisture content and hard testa or seed coat permit storage over long periods. Some of the pulse crops are grown for their green edible pods and unripe seeds. Nutritionally, immature fruits have distinctly different properties to those of the mature seed, the protein content is lower but they are relatively richer in vitamins and soluble carbohydrates. Pulses are commonly used as dehusked, decorticated and whole seed, as dhal and taken with chapattis and cooked rice. They are also used in the form of flour such as that of chickpea, known
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