AICRP on Biological Control, AAU, Jorhat

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AICRP on Biological Control, AAU, Jorhat

Assam Agricultural University (AAU), Jorhat a pioneer institute, has been working on biological control of pests extensively through the Department of Entomology for decades. The AICRP-BC center at the Department of Entomology, AAU, Jorhat started in 1987. The first principal investigator was Dr. Abdul Basit. The project has benefitted the farming community on a sizable scale. The farmers acquire knowledge and skills in biological control and integrated pest, disease, and weed management in various crops. The project was covered in Jorhat district first and gradually spread to several districts of Assam and presently it is functional in all the districts of Assam. The AICRP biocontrol laboratory caters the undergraduate and postgraduate students demonstrating advanced technologies in the biological control of pests. It provides training for farmers and scientific officials across the Northeastern states.

Our Faculties

Dr. Anjumoni Devee

Senior Scientist (Associated Scientist)

Dr. Nomi Sarmah

Junior Scientist (Associated Scientist)
Achivements
  • TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPED AND ADOPTED DURING THE REVIEW PERIOD:
    1. Three spraying of entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana (AAU-J culture) @ 5g/lit was the most effective treatment against mustard aphid (8.72 per 10 cm apical shoot) with 66.13% population reduction after 3rd spray and produce yield 7.85 q/ha which was statistically at par with Lecanicillium lecanii(AAU-J culture) @ 5g/lit in their efficacy in respect of mean population of aphid (10.05 per 10 cm of apical shoot)with 58.38% population reduction and yield 7.83 q/ha in comparison to Metarhizium anisopliae (AAU-J Culture)108 @ 5g/l and Azadirachtin 1500 ppm @ 2 ml/lit.
    2. The incidence of sucking pest (aphids/ leaf) and Leucinodes orbonalis was significantly lower in brinjal intercropped with Carrot and Cowpea as border crop with least population of aphid (0.86/leaf) and per cent shoot (9.19) and fruit (12.94) infestation and maximum yield of 201.87 q/ha as compared to brinjal as sole crop, brinjal intercropped with Cowpea and Coriander as border crop and brinjal intercropped with Coriander and Carrot as border crop . Significantly, higher number of coccinellids predator population of 2.92 / plant was also recorded in brinjal intercropped with Carrot and Cowpea as border crop.
    3. BIPM on rice 
    •Release of egg parasitoids Trichogramma spp. @ 50,000/ha (six releases) on observing the moths of YSB
    •Application of Beauveria bassiana impregnated Rice Husk Saw Dust Rice Bran (RHSDRB) medium @ 3kg/ha in 600 litres of water (107 spores/ml) (Package of Practices for Kharif Crops of Assam, 2019, pp.130)
    4)Management of papaya mealy bug (Paracoccus marginatus)
    • Legislative: Restricted movement of infested plants/planting materials from endemic areas to prevent spreading of the insect pest
    • Survey and Surveillance: Monitoring the crop to detect infestation of the papaya mealy bug early in order to initiate management practices effectively
    • Mechanical: Removal and burning of infested parts/plants
    • Cultural: Removal of weeds/ alternate hosts like Hibiscus sp. and application of sticky bands or alkathene sheet on main stem of the plant to prevent upward movement of crawlers 
    • Biocontrol: Prevention of the movement of ants with destruction of already existing ant colonies in the vicinity, conservation of natural enemies like Coccinella septumpunctata, Coccinella transversalis, Cheilomenes sexmaculata and Spalgis epius, release of Acerophagous papaya (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) @500 - 1,000 per ha for three times at weekly interval.
    • Chemical: spot spraying of Neem oil (1 to 2%) 500 ppm@5ml/ltr, or 1000ppm@3ml/ltr or 1500ppm@ 1ml/ltr, NSKE (5%), profenophos 50EC (2 ml/ltr), thiamethoxam 25WG (26 g ai/ha) and imidacloprid 17.8 SL (1ml/3ltr). (PoP, Horticultural crop, 2021, AAU, Jorhat)
    4. Biointensive IPM against shoot and fruit borer of brinjal
    • Azadirachtin 1500 ppm @ 2 ml/liter of water
    • Lecanicillium lecanii @ 1x 108 spores/ml (5 g/lit of water)
    • Eight releases of Trichogramma chilonis (MITS) @1,00,000 Nos./ha (13500 Nos./bigha) at weekly interval starting from initiation of flowering. (PoP, Horticultural crop, 2021, AAU, Jorhat)
    5. Organic Plant protection techniques in okra
    i) Use of resistant varieties against yellow vein mosaic virus. Destruction of crop residues after harvest and phyto-sanitation measures is to be adopted.
    ii) Use of pheromone traps: Pheromone traps with lures are commercially available for pests like Helicoverpa armigera(Heli lure), Spodoptera litura (Spodo lure) and E. earias(Earias lure). Install 5 traps/ha with lures for each pest, keep the distance of 1200 square meters between the traps. Trap should be installed in the field in such a way that the position of lure is always 6" above the crop canopy. Replace the lures once in 25-30 days depending upon the weather conditions. The trapped moths should be collected and destroyed regularly. ETL for H. armigera is 8 to 10 moths per day per trap.
    iii)Use of yellow sticky traps: Yellow sticky traps should be set up for monitoring whitefly, thrips etc. @ 10 traps/ha. Locally available empty tins can be painted with yellow colour and coated with castor oil/ grease on outer surface may also be used as yellow sticky traps. However, yellow cart paper can be cut into the A4 size paper and smeared it with 5 ml mustard oil also a good alternative of costly YST.
    iv)Six releases of T. chilonis or T. priteosum @ 1,00,000/ha against H. armigera at weekly interval
    v) Need based application of neem oil 500 ppm @ 5 ml /lit as an alternative to chemical insecticides at an interval of 15 days.
    vi)Seed treatment with Org-Pochojal (a liquid bioformulation of Pochonia chlamydosporia, AAU product) @ 5 ml/lit along with application of Org-Pochojal enriched compost @ 2 t/ha (Mix 40 ml Org-Pochojal/kg of compost, incubate for one week and then the compost should mixed with 10 kg of compost. Repeat the incubation for one week and mix the 10 kg of compost with 100 kg of compost and apply in the field) to reduce the infestation of root knot nematode. Seed treatmentwith Bacillus megaterium @ 5 ml/lit + soil application of 2 ton of vermicompost enriched with 5 lit of B. megatorium/ha also reduces the infestation of root knot nematode. (PoP, organic agriculture, 2021, AAU, Jorhat)

    6. Plant protection techniques in organic cabbage
    a) Follow crop rotation with non-cruciferous crops.
    b) Deep summer ploughing helps in exposing resting stages of pests to predators and sunlight.
    c) Use of resistant varieties against black rot. Destruction of crop residues after harvest and phytosanitation measures is to be adopted.
    d) Use of pheromone traps: Pheromone traps with lures are commercially available for pests like DBM, Plutella xylostella; Cabbage butterfly, Pieris spp.; Helicoverpa armigera (Heli lure); Spodoptera litura (Spodo lure)etc. Install 8 traps/ha with lures for each pest, keep the distance of 1200 square meters between the traps. Trap should be installed in the field in such a way that the position of lure is always 6" above the crop canopy. Replace the lures once in 25-30 days depending upon the weather conditions. The trapped moths should be collected and destroyed regularly. ETL for H. armigera is 8 to 10 moths per day per trap.
    e) Use of yellow sticky traps: Yellow sticky traps should be set up for monitoring whitefly, thrips etc. @ 10 traps/ha. Locally available empty tins can be painted with yellow colour and coated with castor oil/ grease on outer surface may also be used as yellow sticky traps. However, yellow chart paper can be cut into the A4 size sheets and smeared it with 5 ml of mustard oil also a good alternative of costly YST.
    f) 6 releases of T. chilonis or T. priteosum @ 1,00,000/ha with weekly intervals helps in controlling DBM and other lepidopteran pests .
    g) Need based application of neem based insecticides/neem oil 500 ppm @ 5 ml /lit as an alternative to chemical insecticides at an interval of 15 days.
    h) Treat the seeds with Trichoderma harzianum based bioformulation like Org-Trichojal @ 5 g/litre of water + CMC @0.02% for 1 hrs followed by shade dry for 2 hour prior to sowing can reduce the soil borne disease like damping off.
    i) Use of trap crop: Two rows are to be sown with mustard as trap crop at the beginning and after 25 cabbage rows. Bold seeded mustard is more suited. Mustard is to be sown twice; first is at 15 days prior to cabbage transplanting, while the second one is at 25 days after transplanting. Thick showing of mustard i.e. 50-60 plants/m rows is recommended usually, the intercropped cabbage is free from infection during early stages. However, there may be some incidence at later stages. For this apply 5% NSKE. 
    j) Erect bird perches at least @ 50 nos./ha to provide roosting sites for predatory birds to consume insect larvae. (PoP, organic agriculture, 2021, AAU, Jorhat    
    7. Technology included in PoP Kharif, page: 64 as “Three sprays of Verticilium lacanni 1x108 cfu @ 5ml/lit
    of water was effective in reducing the aphid (Aphis craccivora)
    population upto     78.28%
    with a B:C
    of 1.74.       First spray should be done at 15-20 days after germination followed by
    second and third spray after 15 days interval”    .
    8. The technology on BIPM of fruit flies Bactrocera spp. On cucumber was
    recommended by the Technical committee meeting, Rabi, 2023 of  AAU to PoP as “BIPM consisting with racking
    and weeding, installation of cuelure @ 15/ha (at 25 DAS), destruction of
    damaged fruits, spraying of neem based insecticides (NSKE) 5% @ 5 ml/lit (at 20
    DAS) and spraying of spinosad 45SC @ 0.5ml/lit (at30 DAS) is effective against
    fruit flies Bactrocera spp.     with B:C ratio 2.86”

aicrp.biocontrol[at]aau.ac.in