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Introduction
India is deficit in green fodder and certified fodder seeds of improved high yielding varieties.
Infestation of pests, diseases and weeds in fodder /seed crops, further cause enormous losses
and aggravates the availability of green fodder and quality fodder seeds. Hence, there is a need
to control infestation of pests, diseases and weeds using environmental friendly technologies. Few
such technologies for insect, disease and weed control have been standardized for commercial
application which when used in conjunction with other pest control measures prove to be more
economic and effective. Such eco-friendly technologies are economically sustainable and known
as Integrated Pest Management
(IPM).
Integrated Pest Management
It is an ecologically based strategy that focuses on long-term solution of pests through a combination
of techniques such as biological control, habitat manipulation, modification of agronomic practices
and use of resistant varieties. Embracing a single tactic to control a specific organism does not
constitute IPM, even if the tactic is an essential element of the IPM system. Pesticides may be
used to remove/prevent the target organism only after assessing that they are needed to prevent
economic damage. Pest control tactics, including pesticides, are carefully selected and applied to
minimize risks to the human health, beneficial & non-target organisms and environment.
Through IPM approach farmers need to be advised to use the following practices:
a. Cultural pest control
• Use treated seed of improved varieties, resistant to disease/pest.
• Timely planting/sowing of crops and follow proper crop rotations.
• Fallowing of field and destruction/burning of old crop debris.
• Removal of weeds from field boundaries and deep ploughing during summer.
b. Physical and mechanical control
• Manual destroying of insect pests eggs, larvae and pupa etc.
•
Pheromone trap
is a type of insect trap that uses pheromones to lure insects. Sex
pheromones and Aggregating pheromones are the most common types used.
•
Insect light trap
is also one of the very effective tools of insect pest management in
organic agriculture. The ordinary light trap consists of an electric bulb emitting yellow light
as attractant and a funnel to direct lured insects into a container containing water.
c. Biological control
• Rearing biological control agents for their field use and conservation of naturally occurring
bio-agents such as
Trichogramma
spp., Lady bird beetle and Chrysopa.
• Installation of bird perches @ 15 per hectare for attracting predatory birds.
d. Organic pesticides
• Promotion of bio-pesticides such as
Neem
seed kernel extract @ 5 per cent as alternative
to chemical pesticides.
• Spray of nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV)
suspension @ 2.5 ml/10 litre of water are
recommended for the control of foliage eating spodoptera and heliothis spp. larvae.
• For the effective management of
Helicoverpa armigera
larvae spraying of
Bacillus
thuringiensis
@ 1 kg/ha at flowering stage is recommended.
• Soil application @ 1.25 kg/ha or seed treatment with 5g/kg of seed of different fodder
crops before sowing by bio-fungicide like
Trichoderma viride
,
Verticillium
spp.,
Aspergillus
spp., etc. that attack and suppress the growth of harmful soil borne plant pathogens
causing root decay.