I am now accessing as a :

Government Of Assam Department of Agriculture & Horticulture Directorate of Agriculture

Organic, Inorganic Fertilizer & Pesticides

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Indiscriminate and injudicious use of chemical pesticides in agriculture has resulted in several associated adverse effects such as environmental pollution, ecological imbalances, pesticides residues in food, fruits and vegetables, fodder, soil and water, pest resurgence, human and animal health hazards, destruction of bio-control agents, development of resistance in pests etc. Therefore, Govt. of India has adopted Integrated Pest Management (IPM) as cardinal principle and main plank of plant protection in the overall Crop Production Programme since 1985. IPM is an eco-friendly approach which encompasses cultural, mechanical, biological and need based chemical control measures. The IPM approach is being disseminated through various schemes/projects at national and state level.

As we approached 21st century there is increasing demand on organically produced food, conservation of biodiversity, unpolluted environment and sustainable agriculture. To face these challenges, bio-control agents and bio-pesticides have emerged as viable alternatives in pest & diseases control. In spite of the thrust from Govt. of India and Govt. of Assam the adoption of bio-control agents and bio-pesticides as an agro-input by farmers is still in infancy.

Tools of IPM

  • Monitoring: Keep tracks of the pests and their potential damage. This provides knowledge about the current pests and crop situation and is helpful in selecting the best possible combinations of the pest management methods.
  • Pest resistant varieties: Breeding for pest resistance is a continuous process. These are bred and selected when available in order to protect against key pests.
  • Cultural pest control: It includes crop production practices that make crop environment less susceptible to pests. Crop rotation, cover crop, row and plant spacing, planting and harvesting dates, destruction of old crop debris are a few examples. Cultural controls are based on pest biology and development.
  • Mechanical control: These are based on the knowledge of pest behaviour. Hand picking, installation of bird perches, mulching and installation of traps are a few examples.
  • Biological control: These include augmentation and conservation of natural enemies of pests such as insect predators, parasitoids, pathogen and weed feeders. In IPM programes, native natural enemy populations are conserved and non-native agents are released with utmost caution.
  • Chemical control: Pesticides are used to keep the pest population below economically damaging levels when the pests cannot be controlled by other means. It is applied only when the pest's damaging capacity is nearing to the threshold.

Organizational Set up:

The present manpower in the SBCL is as under-