A study from northern China showed Bt cotton reduced pest populations in cotton and also other non-Bt crops growing nearby. Published in Science (Vol 321, No 5896), the study reported a dramatic reduction in cotton bollworms after the introduction of Bt cotton. The researchers said Bt benefitted farmers by reducing the need for insecticide sprays.
little did farmers in Maharashtra know, or ever expect, that the thousands of rupees they invested in their soybean crop would be lost to countless colonies of caterpillars. The losses have shaken the region
Use of pesticides in India has substantially increased in recent years. It is increasingly becoming an inevitable input in intensive agriculture systems, which have mainly been fuelled by changes in cropping pattern and practice. Survey results confirmed that there has been a widespread lack of awareness on pesticides and their appropriate handling among the applicators in India. Implementation of alternate pest management strategies to reduce pesticide consumption was found to be ineffective.
environment Jaipur halts limestone mining The Rajasthan government has denotified the region in and around Jaisalmer for limestone mining. Though the reason behind denotification is not clear, the move comes days after the government rejected applications by leading cement companies for mining lease in the region. Companies such as Mangalam Cement, Sanghi Industries, Birla Cement
Cotton hybrids expressing various endotoxins of B. thruringiensis, per se fitting into genetic or host-plant resistance and biological tools of integrated pest management (IPM) have given a new dimension and impetus to the IPM philosophy that aims to reduce the massive reliance on insecticides for pest management on the conventional or non-Bt cotton.
Karimnagar, July 30: Farmers of Nareddypalli in Ellanthakunta mandal in Karimnagar have been harnessing nature's wisdom to enhance output and control pests even as their comrades across the state are agitating against the shortage of fertilisers. Armed with bio-pesticides such as
Specific aphid identified as predominant virus vector the papaya ring spot virus causes extensive damages to papaya, watermelon, squash, cucumber and pumpkin. Scientists suggest that the best way to reduce the loss is to cultivate these plants at a distance from each other and avoid their monoculture. A study, published in the May issue of Phytopathology, has identified a kind of
An insect removal bin developed by the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu promises to remove insects automatically from stored food grains. The structure has four major parts namely outer container, inner perforated container, collection vessel and the lid. Special container The grains are held in the specially designed inner perforated container. The space between inner and outer container provides good aeration for the insects.
