The indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides is actually proving detrimental as the pests have developed resistance while their natural enemies are being destroyed. Rampant application of insecticides is now responsible for serious, resistance and resurgence of insect pests, environmental pollution and problems related to human health.
These and other aspects were discussed at the Forest Research Institute where its Forest Entomology division organised a one-day research seminar on the topic ‘biological control of insect pests, current developments and future strategies’ for scientists, researchers, academicians from colleges, universities and other government and non governmental organisations in and around Dehradun.
Stakeholders from Haryana and Punjab Forest Departments and farmers from Dehrdun also participated in the seminar held on Tuesday.
The workshop was held with the aim of discussing the various issues related to the biological control of insect pests and to share the research carried out by FRI in this field with the stakeholders.
The deputy director general (Education and Research) of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), Neelu Gera inaugurated the seminar.
Addressing the gathering on the occasion, she emphasised that indiscriminate use of chemical insecticides on the one hand developed resistance among the pests and at the same time killed their natural enemies thereby aggravated the pest problem both ways.
Expressing his views on the occasion, the FRI director in-charge SD Sharma appreciated the research conducted by the Forest Entomology division on biological control and other aspects since its inception. He also added that National Forest Insect Collection (NFIC), at the institute’s Forest Entomology division, has the largest collection on forest insects in India.
This collection has about three lakh insect specimens with 18, 500 authentically identified species including 1,950 types. The forest entomology museum at the institute also has a unique collection of 3,000 exhibits, representing different groups of insects and their damaging patterns. This museum is a great source of learning for naturalists, researchers and trainees, he added.
Earlier, the head of the forest entomology division Mohammed Yousuf, in his inaugural address said that the impact of pesticides, applied against insect pests is also devastating on non-target and beneficial insect fauna like parasitoids, predators and pollinators.
Over 90 per cent of these pesticides enter into the aquatic environment, grazing areas and human settlements. Indiscriminate application of insecticides is now responsible for serious, resistance and resurgence of insect pests, environmental pollution and problems related to human health. Biological control of insect pests is an effective, environmentally safe and economically viable pest management.
The FRI has developed biological control of teak and poplar defoliators and Eucalyptus gall wasps which have been used successfully in managing these pests.
Recently infestation of Eucalyptus gall wasp has been controlled by applying biological control by releasing Megastigmus sp. in Punjab, he added.
Eminent entomologists from various Universities and Research Organisations in and around Dehradun - professor BS Bist, head of Zoology Department Tehri Campus of Garwhal University; professor RK Johri, Zoology Department DAV PG College, Dehradun; Pankaj Tiwari, Central Silk Board, Sahaspur; Archna Bahuguna from Zoological Survey of India and forest department representatives were also among those present in the seminar.
They emphasised that biological control is the only eco-friendly and long term method in the forests for effectively and harmlessly suppressing the populations of insect pests.
After day long deliberations various recommendations were made for furthering research and technology development for biological control of forest insect pests. It was recommended that research work on exploration of different parasitoids and their hosts (eggs, larvae and pupae) be taken systematically, covering different families mainly belonging to various orders.
The efficacy of parasitoids and predators should be screened and their mass multiplication techniques should be standardised for applied biological control in the forest.