Pest control on bio-fuel crops needed
The Hyderabad-based Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA) has said that plantation of different tree borne oilseeds in wastelands under different agro-climatic conditions can be taken up for production of bio-fuels. But pests control needs adequate attention. CRIDA has conducted on-farm experimentation in three districts in Andhra Pradesh, namely Anantapur, Mahabubnagar and Nalgonda alongwith the state government's rainshadow area development department. In general, the experiments showed the survival of Jatropha was about 95% after two years of planting and that of Pongamia was around 98% after a year of planting. "Experiments on pruning of Jatropha plants in different districts have shown good response to the treatment at a height of 45 cm and 60 cm from ground level by reflecting in increased number of branches (10-15 per plant) and also vigorous growth', said GR Rao of CRIDA. However, with a view to develop good plant growth, the inflorescene should be removed during the first year. It was observed that the pruning had reflected in more pest problems as pruned plants had more vigor and also because of pruning injuries, he said CRIDA suggested that legume intercropping should be taken up in the three-year gestation period of Jatropha plantation with a view to provide immediate income to the farmer and improving soil fertility. It experimented with such intercropping of pigeonpea, blackgram and horsegram in 2006. The spacing should, however, be at least 3m between rows of Jatropha while that for Pongamia at least 5x4m. Still wider spacing of 6x4m or 6x6m is preferred for Pongamia to get good growth. According to CRIDA study major pests were, however, observed on bio-fuel plants namely Semilooper (Archaea janata), red hairy caterpillar (Amsacta albistriga), leaf webber (Pempelia morosalis), stem girdler, grass hoppers, Defoliater, leaf and inflorescence webber (Pempelia morosalis), spotted bugs (Scutellera nobilis/Chrysocoris purpureus), scale insects (Megapulvinaria maxima), leaf miner, leaf blight and leaf galls (Eriophyes cherian). CRIDA initiated on-station trials with Jatropha way back in 1992 and on Pongamia since 2003. It identified 218 Jatropha species and over 197 Pongamia species in Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh and collected and screened germplasm on the basis of oil content in the seed and thereafter short-listed 42 Jatropha accessions and 23 Pongamia accessions for evaluation. "The screened accessions of Jatropha and Pongamia are being evaluated in progeny trials. Germplasm of these two species were exchanged with network partners, representing all state governments for multi locational trials,' said Rao He said that CRIDA has taken up standardized mass multiplication and other agro technologies for raising elite accessions of Jatropha and Pongamia and intiated trials on inter and intra specific breeding in Jatropha. The negative and positive interactions in bio-fuel plants based agro-forestry systems were being evaluated to develop a sound agro-forestry system suitable to dryland areas. Grafting in Pongamia standardization and performance of grafts vis-avis seedlings were being evaluated in the fields, he said and added that CRIDA has already designed a mini oil expeller by modifying the screw and oil chamber of traditional oil expeller to suit the needs of extracting oil from Jatropha and Pongamia.