Growth in agricultural production,
which is dependent on several factors such as weather conditions,
soil fertility, irrigation etc, is further subject to debilitating
influence of pests. It is estimated that in India, crop losses due
to pests will be in the range of 10 to 30%, which may be
exacerbated due to the looming threat of climate change. Intensive
use of ecosystems to enhance productivity can erode ecosystems and
cause disruption to flow of ecosystem services, which in-turn will
affect plant health and biosecurity.
Modern
agronomy,
plant
breeding,
chemical fertilizers and pesticides coupled with technological
improvements have enhanced crop yields dramatically but
indiscriminate and unscientific application of chemical inputs
caused widespread ecological damage and exposed the farm workers to
serious health risks. The excessive use of biodegradable and
non-biodegradable pesticides resulted in high levels of residues in
the agricultural commodities.
Agroecosystem
analysis (AESA) based Plant Health Management
Globally IPM practices underwent
several improvements and over the years AESA has gained universal
recognition and acceptance. AESA takes into account the intricate
interdependence among various components of an ecosystem. AESA also
enlists farmers participation in decision making, based on
experiential learning through farmers fields schools.
Studies have shown that adoption of AESA based IPM in a scientific
manner through FFS programmes encouraged reliance on biological
control agents as well as substantial reduction in consumption of
chemical fertilizers and pesticides and consequently cost
reduction. AESA also enlists active participation of farmers in
decision making based on experiential learning besides enhancing
productivity and protecting the native agro-ecosystems.
The Division organizes capacity
buiding programmes in
-
Crop Specific AESA – Vegetables
-
Pest Surveillance
-
FFS Methodology
-
Crop Specific AESA – Rice
-
Crop Specific AESA - Oilseeds /
Pulses
-
Production Protocol for Bioagents
and Biopesticides
-
IWM- Major Field Crops
-
IWM- Kharif crops
-
IWM- Commercial Crops
-
IWM- Vegetable and Tropical Fruit
Crops
-
IWM- Rabi crops
