Bio-Control Possibilities in India Common Agricultural & Structural Pest Control

ByDavid

Bio control is a method of controlling insects, moths, bacteria, virus, weeds etc. using other organisms. It id based on the natural mechanisms like predation, parasitism, herbivory etc.

The core strategies are as below.

  • Importation- Introductionof anatural enemy of thepest to a place control the population of the pest,
  • Augmentation- in this strategy a large population of a natural enemy of the pest os introduced to a place for a quick pest control.
  • Conservation- In third step the measures are taken to maintain population of natural enemies of the pest by their regular introduction.

The various bio-control agents of different organisms is listed below-

  • Insectpest- Predators, pathogens, parasitoids, competitors etc. are used to control the insectpest.
  • Plant diseases- biological control agents for the control of plant diseases are known as antagonists.
  • Weeds- seed predators; herbivores, plant pathogens etc. could be used to eradicate the weeds.

Also, read Are you afraid of Rodents?

Whenever we combine these biological control measures with the classical control measures or the chemical control measures it is termed as IPM (Integrated pest management). By practicing integrated pest management method a farmer can achieve 10% reduction in the use of chemical pesticides and 30% increase in the yield, but surprisingly this is not a common agricultural / structural pest control practice in India.

The biological/ herbal pest control also has a wide potential to be used in the pest control strategies in future. The control of virus, bacteria, houseflies, mosquitoes, termites, ants etc could be easily achieved by using the biological/ herbal pest control agents.

The various agents which have potential to be used in bio-control pest management are explained as follows-

Insect predators

  1. They are those free living insects or otherorganisms which consume their preys in a large number or quantity during their entire lifespan.
  2. They are generally larger in size as compared to their prey.
  3. A single predator feeds on a large no of prey.
  4. They are generally the insectivorous species which are harmless to humans.
  5. Examples include lady bird beetle, dragonfly etc.

Pathogens

  1. Fungi, bacteria and viruses are the host specific pathogenic micro-organisms that kill their host.
  2. This property of these micro organisms to cause disease to insects naturally enables us to use them as biological pesticides

Bacteria

  1. Bacteria which belong to coccobacillus group are more pathogenic to insects.
  2. They infect digestive tracks of insects thus stopping their feeding.
  3. But due to the fact mentioned above this method is only applicable to the insects with the sucking mouth parts.
  4. It is a host specific control method.
  5. Harmless to humans.
  6. Example- Bacillus thuringiensis

Viruses

  1. It is still in inception.
  2. Has potential to be used as a bio control agent in future.
  3. Example- Baculoviruses, Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus etc.

Fungi

  1. Fungi like Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium spp., Trichoderma species etc. have insecticidal properties.
  2. They are termed as Entomopathogenic fungi.
  3. They cause fungal infection in the insects and kill them.

Parasitoids

  1. These are the organisms which lay eggs inside the body of other organisms/insects (host).
  2. Later on eggs hatch within their body and the larva feeds on the internal organs of that insect, which eventually kills the insect later on.
  3. It is one of the most widely used methods of biological pest control.
  4. Example- Organisms like Wasps etc.

We at pest control services India at our R + D  centre develop many more equipment , strategies common agricultural / structural pest control practice in India. You may contact for it.