Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for Reducing Pesticide Residues in Crops and Natural Resources

Investigation on the pesticide residues during 2006–2009 in various crops and natural resources (soil and water) in the study village (Kothapally, Telangana State (TS)) indicated the presence of a wide range of insecticidal residues. Pooled data of the 80 food crop and cotton samples, two rice grain samples (3 %) showed beta endosulfan residues, and two (3 %) soil samples showed alpha and beta endosulfan residues. In vegetables of the 75 tomato samples, 26 (35 %) were found contaminated with residues of which 4 % had residues above MRLs. Among the 80 brinjal samples, 46 (56 %) had residues, of these 4 % samples had residues above MRLs. Only 13 soil samples from vegetable fields were found contaminated. The frequency of contamination in brinjal fields was high and none of the pulses and cotton samples revealed any pesticide contamination. IPM fields showed substantial reduction sprays which in-turn reflected in lower residues. Initial studies on water analysis indicated the presence of residues in all water sources with higher in bore wells compared to open wells, however, by 2009 the water bodies reflected no residues above the detectable level

Effect of Weather Parameters on of Pests and Diseases in Groundnut and Castor in Salem District of Tamil Nadu, India

The roving survey on the incidence of pests and diseases in groundnut and castor was conducted from August, 2020 to March 2021 in Salem district at fortnight intervals revealed that, in groundnut , leaffolder (20.38%), cutworms S. litura (1.63/20 pls), thrips (10.69/20 pls), leaf spot (15.25%) and root rot (6.31%) , similarly in castor pests, whiteflies (23.06/20 pls), A. janata (8.38/20 pls), S. litura (10.19/ 20 pls), thrips (11.63 / 20 pls), C. punctiferalis (7.25/20 pls), alternaria blight (17.56%) and botrytis rot (4.19%) were found feeding /infecting on different parts of the crops. The correlation with weather parameters indicated, positive correlation of rainfall, relative humidity and wind speed on incidence of leaffolder (0.47998, 0.311421 and 0.339961) but rainfall and relative humidity increased root rot (0.433059 and 0.393255) whereas, maximum temperature influenced high infection of leafspot (0.67911) in groundnut. The whiteflies incidence in castor was positively correlated with (0.490967) and rainfall (0.389125) whereas, lepidopteran pests by relative humidity (0.61212) and rainfall (0.49415). The thrips and botrytis rot were influenced by relative humidity and rainfall rot (0.65914 and 0.77965, 0.57456 and 0.82709). But natural enemies in groundnut and castor had non-significant correlation with weather parameters