Shimla: The Department of Entomology, Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry Nauni, Solan in collaboration with Krishi Vigyan Kendra Chamba organised two trainings on Eco-friendly Management of Crop Pests at Siurn and Deol (Holi) villages of Block Bharmour district Chamba.
The camps were attended by over 100 farmers from the two villages. These camps were organised under the Tribal subplan of All India Coordinated Research Project on Biocontrol of Crop Pests.
Dr Subhash Chander Verma, Professor and Head-cum-Principal Investigator of the project, Department of Entomology, was the main speaker during these training camps and he emphasised upon adopting the biocontrol strategies for the management of the insect pests of apple and other temperate crops. He cautioned against the non-judicious use of the insecticides and other chemicals in the agricultural ecosystem of the pristine dry temperate zone of Himachal Pradesh.
Additionally, farmers were made aware of the different insect pests of apples, their damaging symptoms and eco-friendly management. He further explained the utilization of biocontrol practices involving the use of Aphelinus mali, coccinellids, syrphids and microbial agents against Woolly apple aphid and apple root borer. Besides, Dr Kehar Singh Thakur, Scientist from Krishi Vigyan Kendra Chamba explained the various activities of Krishi Vigyan Kendra and growing of fodder plants and grasses along with fruit plants. Dr Vishav Gaurav Singh Chandel also discussed the symptoms and damage potential of different insect- pests of fruit crops along with their management. The farmers were also provided with various biocontrol inputs such as university’s Kisan margdarshika, Trichoderma and Metarhizium formulations, Neem based pesticides, yellow sticky traps and Ghanjeevamrit for use in their orchards for the management of insect-pests.
