The 33rd Annual Group Meeting of the All India Coordinated Research Project on Biological Control of Crop Pests (AICRP-BC) commenced today at the Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry. The university’s Department of Entomology is organising the meeting in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources (ICAR-NBAIR), Bengaluru. Over 70 scientists and invitees from ICAR institutes, State Agricultural Universities, State Biological Control Laboratories are attending the event. The performance made by different AICRP centers during 2023-24 will be reviewed during the workshop.
The inaugural day of the ICAR-NBAIR conference featured a series of technical sessions, with a significant focus on the topic Research on Biological Control at ICAR-NBAIR: Biodiversity of Natural Enemies and Crop Pest Outbreak Report. During the first technical session, scientists and experts emphasized the importance of submitting any new insect pest reports to ICAR-NBAIR for verification prior to publication. The participants agreed that if a new pest incidence is alarming and cannot be managed within established containment protocols, only then should it be published in scientific journals.
Key discussions also centered around the development of crop-based consortia, incorporating biocontrol agents for insect pests, diseases, and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). Ensuring compatibility among biocontrol agents, and evaluating their compatibility with chemical pesticides, were highlighted as crucial areas of focus. The session also addressed the management of whiteflies in coconut orchards, stressing the need to define the optimal timing for the release of predators, parasitoids, and microbial agents. Scientists underscored the necessity of conducting studies on the effects of high temperature, varied humidity, and UV radiation on biocontrol agents. They also advocated for the implementation of an integrated system for the identification and mass production of parasitoids to ensure their availability to farmers following initial reporting.
In the next two days, scientists from various State Agricultural Universities and ICAR institutes will present and discuss their work on the biodiversity of natural enemies of different insect pests, invasive pests, and the management of crop pests using biocontrol agents to help set the future course of action. Additionally, the workshop will serve as a platform for scientists and industry representatives to interact, fostering research collaborations and ideas of mutual benefit in the field of biological control.
