ABSTRACTS of COMPLETED RESEARCH PROJECTS – a Compilation
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1 ABSTRACTS OF COMPLETED RESEARCH PROJECTS – A Compilation (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) Abstracts of Completed Research Projects ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources P. B. No. 2491, H. A. Farm Post, Hebbal, Bengaluru – 560 024 2016 2 Printed on : February, 2016 Component : A Compilation of the Abstracts of the Completed Institute Research Projects Technical Document No. : 66 Copyright : © Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi. All rights reserved. Reproduction of material in this report for educational or other non- commercial purposes is permitted provided the source is fully acknowledged. Published by : Dr. Abraham Verghese, Director, ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources, Bengaluru-560 024, Karnataka, India Phone: 080-2351 1982/998, Fax: 080-2341 1961, E-mail:[email protected]; [email protected] Website: www.nbaii.res.in Compiled and edited by : K. Srinivasa Murthy, Sunil Joshi, S. K. Jalali and B.L. Lakshmi Other Credits : All Scientists, staff of PME Cell Printed at : ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources, Bengaluru-560 024, Karnataka, INDIA. 3 ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources P.B.No. 2491, H. A. Farm Post, Bellary Road Bengaluru – 560 024. Dr. Abraham Verghese Director FOREWORD The growing concern for sustainable food production to abridge the yawning gap between production and demand, coupled with environmental safety has warranted a paradigm shift from conventional farming practices to integrated intensive farming systems with reliance on conservation of biodiversity, use of biocontrol agents, biopesticides, botanicals and useful microbial organisms for effective crop protection to sustain productivity. The ICAR-NBAIR (formerly NBAII and erstwhile PDBC) is a nodal institute for research and development to harness the rich biodiversity of useful insects, nematodes and other associated microorganisms for enhancing agricultural productivity. With passing of time, the Bureau has emerged as a front runner in insect biosystematics and barcoding and is therefore the designated insect repository of the country. Through the years1987-2015, the institute has carried out several research projects to address the subjects stated above encompassing the newer technologies like molecular biology, nanotechnology and information technology. The abstracts of the projects completed are testimonies to the accomplishments made by all the scientists. I wholeheartedly congratulate every one of them (both superannuated and currently working) and the officer- in-charge PME cell, for bringing out this compilation. The abridgement would enable researchers to ponder over the challenges ahead and formulate befitting programmes. (Abraham Verghese) Dated the 6th February, 2016 Bengaluru 4 PREFACE The climate change, depleting resource base and onslaught of pests and diseases have become a major impediment for sustainable crop production. Consequently, the integrated intensive farming systems with reliance on ecologically sound management practices viz., conservation of biodiversity with habitat management, biological control, use of semiochemicals, biopesticides and botanicals have gained significance. The impetus for all these endeavours, began with the setting up of All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Biological Control of Crop Pests and Weeds during 1977 and establishment of Biological Control Centre in 1988 and the Project Directorate of Biological Control in 1993. The Project Directorate of Biological Control was upgraded as National Bureau of Agricultural Important Insects (NBAII) during 2009, to act as a nodal agency for collection, characterization, documentation, conservation, exchange and utilization of agriculturally important insect resources (including mites and spiders) for sustainable agriculture. In the twelvth five year plan, the Bureau is re-christened as ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources (ICAR- NBAIR). The ICAR-NBAIR acts as a hub of network of institutions spread across the country to harness diversity of beneficial insects and associated microorganisms for enhancing agricultural productivity. Keeping in view, the challenges ahead in sustaining agricultural productivity without degrading the resource base, the institute (as Project Directorate and as National Bureau) had envisaged a blend of basic and applied research projects to meet the requirement of the country and the farming community in particular. During the period 1987 through 2015, a total of 90 research projects cutting across the science of insect taxonomy, biodiversity, biological control, mass production techniques of biocontrol agents, biopesticides, bio-informatics, molecular biology, nanotechnology and quarantine, were ably handled by 31 scientists at the institute and successfully concluded. The anthology of abstracts of the completed research projects provides an insight in to the research arena of the institute mandate, the accomplishments made and the technologies generated over the years. The compilation would add to our existing knowledge and throw light on the impending future researchable issues to embark upon. The Priority setting, Monitoring and Evaluation cell gratefully acknowledges all the scientists for the information on the projects and thank the Director, ICAR-NBAIR for the invaluable suggestions in bringing out this omnibus. PME cell Dated the 6th February, 2016 ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources Bengaluru Bengaluru 5 Abstracts of Research Projects Completed at ICAR-NBAIR A Compilation The ICAR- National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources is a nodal institute for the collection, characterisation, documentation, conservation, exchange and utilization of agriculturally important insect resources (including mites, spiders and related arthropods) for sustainable agriculture. The research Projects were initiated in the year 1987 under the All India Co- ordinated Research Project on Biological Control of Crop Pests and Weeds. Subsequent to the establishment of Biological control centre in 1988, Project Directorate of Biological Control in 1993 and upgradation as National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Insects in 2009, the institute now rechristened as NBAIR has successfully completed 90 research projects which is the fruition of dedicated work of 31 scientists. The Projects have dealt with basic as well as applied aspects of entomological research including molecular biology, nanotechnology and information technology for minimising the crop losses and enhancing the agricultural productivity. The research carried out has covered various aspects of agricultural pests, parasitoids, predators, entomopathogens, EPNs, weed insects, invasives and utilizing these for effective management of crop pests, diseases and weeds. Technologies have been developed for the mass multiplication several parasitoids and predators, their storage and packaging. Protocols were standardized to rear parasitoids and predators on artificial diet. Natural enemies have been imported from different countries for the control of several crop pests and weeds and have been released against the target pest/weed after ensuring proper quarantine measures. Development and use of insect viruses for the management of major pest complex of cruciferous crops, development of improved formulations of NPV for management of H. armigera and S. litura in tomato and long term management of red hairy caterpillar (Amsacta albistriga) by creating epizootics of nuclear polyhedrosis virus has been a landmark in the effective pest management. 6 Biological control of soil borne plant pathogens by antagonistic bacteria, development of bacterial biocontrol agents, management of bacterial wilts of tomato and brinjal caused by Ralstonia solanacearum through Bacillus spp., biological control of Alternaria leaf blight of tomato, efficient formulations of Trichoderma sp. and entomofungal pathogens with prolonged shelf-life, identification of Trichoderma isolates with enhanced biocontrol potential, biological control of plant parasitic nematodes with fungi and bacteria with special reference to Paecilomyces lilacinus and Pasteuria penetrans, nematode-derived fungi and bacteria for exploitation in agriculture, mass production and exploitation of entomopathogenic nematodes against white grubs from diverse habitats, mass production, formulation and field-testing of entomopathogenic nematodes against important lepidopterous pests, biocontrol of insect pests using entomopathogenic fungi, development of mycoinsecticides and biological suppression of plant parasitic nematodes exploiting antagonistic fungi and bacteria in specific cropping systems are some of the salient achievements through the projects. Studies on bee pollinators in crop-ecosystems with special reference to pulses and oilseed crops, in situ conservation of natural enemies and pollinators in pigeonpea and sunflower ecosystem, host derived kairomones to enhance the efficiency of natural enemies and formulations of pheromones of important borer and other crop pests and kairomones for natural enemies using nanotechnology have helped in better usage of natural enemies. Software has also been developed for identifying and suggesting biocontrol measures of different crop-pests. Cataloguing of insect fauna of India is the main mandate of the institute. Traditional taxonomy of different groups of insects as well as molecular characterization have been done extensively. Biosystematic studies on