RESISTANCE OF DIFFRRENT COTTON CULTIVARS TO CHEWING INSECT PESTS

Forty cotton varieties registered for cultivation in Punjab province were studied for their relative resistance against chewing insect pests i.e., Pectinophora gossypiella (Sound), Helicoverpa armigera (Hub), Earias vittella (Fab.) and Earias insulana (Boise). At the stage of square formation the cotton genotypes SLH-291, CIM-473, SLH-304, VH-142, and SLH301 showed high level of resistance to bollworms with not more than 1.00%damage. The least resistant variety at square formation to chewing insect pets was MNH-554 that showed 53.80%square damage. At boll formation the cotton genotypes VH-137, NIAB-999, FH1000showed 6.60%, 4.90%and 3.30%boll damage, while NIAB-KARISHMA, OKRRA659/01 ,SLH291, CIM-473, SLH-304 VH-142 and SLH-301showed high level of resistance with boll damages of 1.00%. The least resistance genotypes were SLH-257, CIM-499, NIAB-111, BH-1129, BH-147, FH-925 and NIAB-98 having 57.69%, 51.60%, 44.02%, 40.00%, 40.00% and 37.90% boll damage, respectively.