Question raised in Rajya Sabha on charging stations for electric vehicles, 20/07/2022. The number of electric vehicles in the country is 13,34,385 (excluding data of Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Lakshadweep, which is not available in Vahan 4) as on 14-07-2022 and a total of 2826 Public Charging Stations …
Biological control provided by natural enemies play an important role in integrated pest management. Generalist insect predators provide an important biological service in the regulation of agricultural insect pests. Our goal is to understand the explicit process of oviposition preference, habitat selection and feeding behavior of predators in farmland ecosystem …
The South American tomato moth Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) is a devastating pest of tomato. In the present study Tuta-adapted strains of Trichogramma were evaluated. Amongst the three species, Trichogramma achaeae Nagaraja and Nagarkatti, Trichogramma pretiosum Riley and Trichogrammatoidea bactrae Nagaraja could parasitise T. absoluta eggs and the parasitism rates were …
Neonicotinoids are the most widely used insecticides world-wide, but their fate in the environment remains unclear, as does their potential to influence non-target species and the roles they play in agroecosystems. The researchers investigated in laboratory and field studies the influence of the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam, applied as a coating to …
The widespread use of Bt crops reduces the outbreaks of certain targeted pests and the need for insecticide use, leading to enhanced biocontrol of other potential pest species in the Bt crops; neighbouring non-Bt crops may also benefit.
Parasitoid disturbance populations in agroecosystems can be maintained through the provision of habitat refuges with host resources. However, specialized herbivores that feed on different host plants have been shown to form host-specialized races. Parasitoids may subsequently specialize on these herbivore host races and therefore prefer parasitizing insects from the refuge, …
Land-use options that increase resilience and reduce vulnerability of contemporary societies are fundamental to livelihoods improvement and adaptation to climate change. Agroforestry as a wide-spread land-use adaptation may potentially support livelihoods improvement through simultaneous production of food, fodder and firewood as well as mitigation and adaptation to climate change. Drawing …
Only when farming is based upon "natural principles" can it be truly sustainable. Ecological farming is based on nurturing and nourishing the soils. Emphasizing soil conservation and building up organic matter are key to maintain these natural ecological balances in crop ecosystems. Mojo plantation is one such attempt.
The filamentous ascomycetous fungi Trichoderma spp. are agriculturally and industrially important, being the major source of many commercial enzymes and as biofungicides. More than 60% of all registered biofungicides used for plant disease control are Trichoderma-based. Mycoparasitism, wherein one fungus directly kills and obtain nutrients from other fungi is considered …
Agronomic intensification has transformed many agricultural landscapes into expansive monocultures with little natural habitat. A pervasive concern is that such landscape simplification results in an increase in insect pest pressure, and thus an increased need for insecticides. We tested this hypothesis across a range of cropping systems in the Midwestern …
with chemical pesticides accumulating in crops, entering the food chain and creating pests with the next level of immunity, biocontrol is taken a little more seriously. Bacteria, fungi and insect parasitic nematodes assume greater importance in agricultural research. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization was the first to use …
In the light of increased awareness on unwanted effects of conventional insecticides and concern for ecofriendly plant protection, avermectins have emerged as new group of insecticides.
Tango with nature India has been using lakes, ponds and baolis (step wells) since ancient times ('What monsoon means', July 16-31, 2010). Delhi was once replete with water bodies. In the past 50 years, government agencies started disbanding natural ponds, lakes and baolis, declaring their water untested, and therefore, unfit …
Antagoistic bacteria were isolated from soil samples collected from different forest areas of Jabalpur, Mandla, Umaria and Bilaspur. One antagonistic bacteria Bacillus firmus was isolated from the soil of Belkund teak forest nursery, Kundam Project, Forest Development Corporation, Jabalpur.
A survey of organic and conventional potato fields shows that species evenness is greater under organic management. Replicating these levels of evenness in a field trial shows that the evenness of natural enemies found in organic fields promotes pest control and increases crop biomass. This is independent of the identity …
Organic farming supports higher biodiversity. Research involving the Colorado potato beetle shows that this increased diversity can deliver a better ecosystem service in the form of more effective pest control.
Decades ago, in the wake of increasing chemical pesticide-related deaths, researchers sought to reinvent commercially viable alternatives to conventional pesticides. By the 1970s, optimism was high that future pest control schemes would increasingly incorporate novel methods including the use of biocontrol agents. Application of the sterile male technique in mosquito …
This study sets out the importance of analysing a specific situation in order to develop a holistic strategy of interventions which will be appropriate to the vectors and the local conditions. The strategies proposed recognise the importance of community participation, health education, surveillance, improving public health systems, decentralization of malaria …
This article deals with the investigations to study the comparative efficacy of certain indigenous plants oils viz, castor, eucalyptus, sunflower and neem for safe storage of pigeonpea seeds against C. chinensis under laboratory conditions.
