Shimla: The Department of Entomology, Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry (UHF), Nauni, Solan, organized two farmer training camps this week in the villages of Sumnam and Mooring of Lahaul and Spiti district. The programmes were held under the All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Biological Control with the primary aim of promoting awareness on the management of insect pests and diseases using biological control agents.
A total of 70 farmers, including 30 women farmers, actively participated in the training. During the sessions, Dr. Subhash Chander Verma, Professor and Head, Department of Entomology, and Principal Investigator of the project, delivered an informative lecture on major insect pests affecting apple and other fruit crops. He highlighted the need to reduce dependence on chemical pesticides and encouraged farmers to adopt eco-friendly and biological methods for pest management.
Dr. Verma emphasized that the pristine environment of Lahaul must be preserved by minimizing agrochemical use and shifting towards biological control agents and biopesticides, which not only protect crops but also contribute to biodiversity conservation. He provided detailed information on pests commonly affecting apple, pea, and cole crops, along with their bio-control options. He also discussed natural farming practices that farmers in the region can easily adopt to further promote sustainable agriculture.
Dr. Vishav Gaurav Singh Chandel, Entomologist, briefed farmers on the importance of beneficial insects and explained how their conservation can naturally help protect crops from pests.
Dr. Meenakshi Sharma, Deputy Director (Horticulture), Lahaul and Spiti, and Gitesh Kumar, Horticulture Development Officer, interacted with the farmers and shared details about various government schemes introduced by the Himachal Pradesh Government for the benefit of growers. They also urged farmers to adopt modern and sustainable farming practices to enhance productivity and income.
As part of the programme, Kisan diaries and biocontrol inputs such as Trichoderma, neem-based insecticides, yellow sticky traps, Agniastra, and Ghanjeevamrit were distributed among the participants.
