Subject: Agriculture Entomology
Author's Name: Dr Mahesh Chandra, Agra College, Agra
AGRA COLLEGE AGRA
BRIEF SUMMARY OF RESEARCH PROJECT
(11th Jan. 2013 to 10th Jan. 2016)
1. Name and designation of the
Investigator-in –charge : Dr. Mahesh Chandra
(Young Scientist)
2. Name of Department and Institute : Department of Zoology, Agra College, Agra
3. Title of Research Scheme :“Tritrophic Interaction of Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) with their Host Plants (Allium cepa and Capsicum annuum) and Natural Enemies (Predators/Parasitoids) in Western Uttar Pradesh”
4. Period upto which the scheme is tenable: 11th Jan. 2013 to 10th Jan. 2016
5. Funding Agency : Council of Science & Technology, U.P.
Vigyan Bhawan,
9, Nabiullah Road, Suraj Kund Park,
Lucknow – 226 018
6. Brief Summary of the work:
¬Vegetables are the life and soul of all the delicious Indian dishes. These are the excellent combination of healthy ingredients and essential nutrients. India is well known for its production in the form of agricultural products and one of the largest producers of onion (Allium cepa) and chilli (Capsicum annuum). These plants are very sensitive to direct cosmetic damage and heavy infestations by thrips, Thrips tabaci and Scirothrips dorsalis respectively. For the present investigation, all the experiments were successfully carried out on T. tabaci and S. dorsalis with their host plants and their natural enemies. Predator and parasitoids were selected for biological control of thrips. Predator A. cucumeris (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) and parasitoid C. menes (Eulophidae: Hymenoptera) were selected for T. tabaci; and predator O. tantillus (Heteroptera: Anthocoridae) and parasitoid M. mymaripenne (Trichogrammatidae: Hymenoptera) were selected for S. dorsalis.
To accomplished the objectives, fifteen villages of five experimental districts; Agra, Aligarh, Mathura, Firozabad and Etah were decided for survey and sampling in different places in Western Uttar Pradesh. The highest peak population of T. tabaci was recorded in onion fields at the beginning of summer season and it was recorded at minimum point in the ending of winter season. Overall the abundance of S. dorsalis is recorded high in autumn season and low in rainy season. Recorded fluctuation level was done for all selected districts of Western Uttar Pradesh. According to above data, the overall highest population of A. cucumeris and C. menes in onion fields were recorded on the beginning of summer season in Western Uttar Pradesh. On the other hand the overall highest population of O. tantillus and M. mymaripenne in chilli fields of Western Uttar Pradesh were on the beginning of autumn season.
Three different fields were selected from each Village for the study. For both the crops, total fifteen Villages from five districts i.e. 45 farmer’s fields were selected randomly for sampling during the beginning of our project work. Data collected on the basis of surveying method and also the interviews with farmers which were designed by special scheduled. After that the collected data tabulated according to the purpose of our study. Simple tabular analysis was made to work out of compare study of chilli and onion production in selected fields of Western Uttar Pradesh.
The evaluation through the process of rearing and mass production of T. tabaci and S. dorsalis performed in research laboratory of Zoology Department, Agra College, Agra; and some numbers of thrips were also collected from different surveying sites of Western Uttar Pradesh to maintaining our stoke. From which adults of selected predators and parasitoids were collected. On the other hand, also few species of selected parasitoids have been collected during the rearing period of thrips in laboratory experiments; they were emerging from the infected eggs and larvae of the selected thrips. I have also obtained some live species of natural enemies of thrips from the Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh, and Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi and also from the National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Insects Bangalore. Thus, a maintained stokes of all life stages of thrips and their effective natural enemies (predators and parasitoids) were kept for the experiments of biological control.
For the experiment, I selected some heavy infected areas under three crop fields (1. chilli field, 2. onion field and 3. chilli with onion field) and after that I have been covered these fields by net houses. The experiments for biological control of thrips were carried out in 27 different sets/micro-plots (size of 3x10 mt) of nine net houses. Thus, I covered some part of first field (chilli field) by 9 micro-plots of 3 net houses; and same technique was applied for second field (onion field) and third field (chilli with onion field). All experiments for every year were carried out at Village Barara, District Agra of Western Uttar Pradesh, because this study site was very suitable for relevant study in the comparison of other sites. The number of thrips has been recorded regularly for two/three weeks till reached at Economic Threshold Level (ETL) regarding thrips and calculated its mortality.
To known the level of productivity under controlled experiments, which was done under all above 27 micro-plots of nine net houses at Village Barara, District Agra of Western Uttar Pradesh. For calculation, I used the mean values which were predicted under nine net houses. First, second and third net houses were used for chilli production; fourth, fifth and sixth net houses have used for the level of onion production; and remaining the seventh, eighth and ninth for together chilli with onion. So, each net house has been divided into three micro-plots. All the observations regarding productivity calculated through mean values. In this manner, I have noted the different mean values for separate net houses.
7. Recommendations:
To reduce the pesticidal load in our daily diet, on biological control is the safest alternative though it naturally occuring or applied. Though, Insecticidal interventions can lead to several problems and adversely affected to our rich fauna. Their uses at regular intervals decrease the soil enrichment with nutrients. They can adversely affect to domestic animals. In this manner human health is also influenced by the use of such harmful pesticides. Therefore, biological control is the answer to everything, but the opportunity exists to do much more than has been done to date with many pests. But, it is true that the natural control through biological methods have increased the chances of grower acceptance of injury that does not affect the final market quality of the crops. So, in this regard we have to think about the final market quality of the crop in order to make it economically viable.
1. In this manner, grower education should be essential for any kind of intensive management through natural enemies in the field of onion and chilli.
2. In this way, we could maintain diversity with useful flora and fauna in a crop and non crop areas, it should be necessary to provide refuges, food and other necessities for both natural enemies and their prey.
3. To keep up-to-date on pest populations in relation to dynamics of economic thresholds and economic injury levels and on the rate of parasitzation and predator/prey ratios. It is necessary to keep the proper measures which can be taken to keep them favorable.
4. The presence of natural predators and native competitive insects may control the particular type of pests. They do not create any adversely affect to crop plants and their rich quality. It should be more important to keep their populations to maintain our biodiversity.
5. It should be necessary to accomplished the mass culturing either by government laboratories or grower associations. Importation and colonization, mass production and release, and by the way of conservation and their enhancement should have been an important place in a pest management programme in onion and chili crop.
6. It should be more important that the understanding of the pest /crop damage relationship by regular monitoring of crops (onion and chili) during favorable environmental conditions. It is essential to check the rate of thrips breeding.
7. The cost effectiveness for management technology has already developed for management of thrips on onion and chili at different places of Western Uttar Pradesh.
8. For the future aspect, some private or government should also work on mass rearing of predators and parasitoids of thrips, so the farmers can easily purchase natural enemies to evaluation them in their field and an eco-friendly environment should be developed.
Dr. Mahesh Chandra
(Young Scientist)
Department of Zoology
Agra College, Agra
Author's Name: Dr Mahesh Chandra, Agra College, Agra
AGRA COLLEGE AGRA
BRIEF SUMMARY OF RESEARCH PROJECT
(11th Jan. 2013 to 10th Jan. 2016)
1. Name and designation of the
Investigator-in –charge : Dr. Mahesh Chandra
(Young Scientist)
2. Name of Department and Institute : Department of Zoology, Agra College, Agra
3. Title of Research Scheme :“Tritrophic Interaction of Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) with their Host Plants (Allium cepa and Capsicum annuum) and Natural Enemies (Predators/Parasitoids) in Western Uttar Pradesh”
4. Period upto which the scheme is tenable: 11th Jan. 2013 to 10th Jan. 2016
5. Funding Agency : Council of Science & Technology, U.P.
Vigyan Bhawan,
9, Nabiullah Road, Suraj Kund Park,
Lucknow – 226 018
6. Brief Summary of the work:
¬Vegetables are the life and soul of all the delicious Indian dishes. These are the excellent combination of healthy ingredients and essential nutrients. India is well known for its production in the form of agricultural products and one of the largest producers of onion (Allium cepa) and chilli (Capsicum annuum). These plants are very sensitive to direct cosmetic damage and heavy infestations by thrips, Thrips tabaci and Scirothrips dorsalis respectively. For the present investigation, all the experiments were successfully carried out on T. tabaci and S. dorsalis with their host plants and their natural enemies. Predator and parasitoids were selected for biological control of thrips. Predator A. cucumeris (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) and parasitoid C. menes (Eulophidae: Hymenoptera) were selected for T. tabaci; and predator O. tantillus (Heteroptera: Anthocoridae) and parasitoid M. mymaripenne (Trichogrammatidae: Hymenoptera) were selected for S. dorsalis.
To accomplished the objectives, fifteen villages of five experimental districts; Agra, Aligarh, Mathura, Firozabad and Etah were decided for survey and sampling in different places in Western Uttar Pradesh. The highest peak population of T. tabaci was recorded in onion fields at the beginning of summer season and it was recorded at minimum point in the ending of winter season. Overall the abundance of S. dorsalis is recorded high in autumn season and low in rainy season. Recorded fluctuation level was done for all selected districts of Western Uttar Pradesh. According to above data, the overall highest population of A. cucumeris and C. menes in onion fields were recorded on the beginning of summer season in Western Uttar Pradesh. On the other hand the overall highest population of O. tantillus and M. mymaripenne in chilli fields of Western Uttar Pradesh were on the beginning of autumn season.
Three different fields were selected from each Village for the study. For both the crops, total fifteen Villages from five districts i.e. 45 farmer’s fields were selected randomly for sampling during the beginning of our project work. Data collected on the basis of surveying method and also the interviews with farmers which were designed by special scheduled. After that the collected data tabulated according to the purpose of our study. Simple tabular analysis was made to work out of compare study of chilli and onion production in selected fields of Western Uttar Pradesh.
The evaluation through the process of rearing and mass production of T. tabaci and S. dorsalis performed in research laboratory of Zoology Department, Agra College, Agra; and some numbers of thrips were also collected from different surveying sites of Western Uttar Pradesh to maintaining our stoke. From which adults of selected predators and parasitoids were collected. On the other hand, also few species of selected parasitoids have been collected during the rearing period of thrips in laboratory experiments; they were emerging from the infected eggs and larvae of the selected thrips. I have also obtained some live species of natural enemies of thrips from the Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh, and Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi and also from the National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Insects Bangalore. Thus, a maintained stokes of all life stages of thrips and their effective natural enemies (predators and parasitoids) were kept for the experiments of biological control.
For the experiment, I selected some heavy infected areas under three crop fields (1. chilli field, 2. onion field and 3. chilli with onion field) and after that I have been covered these fields by net houses. The experiments for biological control of thrips were carried out in 27 different sets/micro-plots (size of 3x10 mt) of nine net houses. Thus, I covered some part of first field (chilli field) by 9 micro-plots of 3 net houses; and same technique was applied for second field (onion field) and third field (chilli with onion field). All experiments for every year were carried out at Village Barara, District Agra of Western Uttar Pradesh, because this study site was very suitable for relevant study in the comparison of other sites. The number of thrips has been recorded regularly for two/three weeks till reached at Economic Threshold Level (ETL) regarding thrips and calculated its mortality.
To known the level of productivity under controlled experiments, which was done under all above 27 micro-plots of nine net houses at Village Barara, District Agra of Western Uttar Pradesh. For calculation, I used the mean values which were predicted under nine net houses. First, second and third net houses were used for chilli production; fourth, fifth and sixth net houses have used for the level of onion production; and remaining the seventh, eighth and ninth for together chilli with onion. So, each net house has been divided into three micro-plots. All the observations regarding productivity calculated through mean values. In this manner, I have noted the different mean values for separate net houses.
7. Recommendations:
To reduce the pesticidal load in our daily diet, on biological control is the safest alternative though it naturally occuring or applied. Though, Insecticidal interventions can lead to several problems and adversely affected to our rich fauna. Their uses at regular intervals decrease the soil enrichment with nutrients. They can adversely affect to domestic animals. In this manner human health is also influenced by the use of such harmful pesticides. Therefore, biological control is the answer to everything, but the opportunity exists to do much more than has been done to date with many pests. But, it is true that the natural control through biological methods have increased the chances of grower acceptance of injury that does not affect the final market quality of the crops. So, in this regard we have to think about the final market quality of the crop in order to make it economically viable.
1. In this manner, grower education should be essential for any kind of intensive management through natural enemies in the field of onion and chilli.
2. In this way, we could maintain diversity with useful flora and fauna in a crop and non crop areas, it should be necessary to provide refuges, food and other necessities for both natural enemies and their prey.
3. To keep up-to-date on pest populations in relation to dynamics of economic thresholds and economic injury levels and on the rate of parasitzation and predator/prey ratios. It is necessary to keep the proper measures which can be taken to keep them favorable.
4. The presence of natural predators and native competitive insects may control the particular type of pests. They do not create any adversely affect to crop plants and their rich quality. It should be more important to keep their populations to maintain our biodiversity.
5. It should be necessary to accomplished the mass culturing either by government laboratories or grower associations. Importation and colonization, mass production and release, and by the way of conservation and their enhancement should have been an important place in a pest management programme in onion and chili crop.
6. It should be more important that the understanding of the pest /crop damage relationship by regular monitoring of crops (onion and chili) during favorable environmental conditions. It is essential to check the rate of thrips breeding.
7. The cost effectiveness for management technology has already developed for management of thrips on onion and chili at different places of Western Uttar Pradesh.
8. For the future aspect, some private or government should also work on mass rearing of predators and parasitoids of thrips, so the farmers can easily purchase natural enemies to evaluation them in their field and an eco-friendly environment should be developed.
Dr. Mahesh Chandra
(Young Scientist)
Department of Zoology
Agra College, Agra