S Jayaraj of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research's division at the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, Madras, has developed an eco-friendly, cost-effective and energy-saving method for managing cotton pests.

The package is a blend of cultural, mechanical and biological methods and will cost between Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000 per ha, compared to the chemical control method that costs between Rs 5,000 and Rs 8,000 per ha. Among other measures, the new method suggests deep ploughing and crop-rotation.