All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Biological Control of Crop Pests ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT 2016-17 Compiled and edited by S.K. Jalali Richa Varshney B. Ramanujam K. Srinivasa Murthy A.N. Shylesha Sunil Joshi M. Mohan Ankita Gupta M. Sampath Kumar Amala Udaykumar Omprakash Navik Chandish R. Ballal ICAR- National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources Bengaluru 560 024 1 2 3 5 17 4 8 9 7 10 6 11 12 15 16 13 14 Cover page 1. Distribution of insect traps to the farmers 2. Chilli anthracnose damage in field 3. Distribution of inputs to the farmers 4. Monitoring of cotton whitefly and its natural enemies 5. Indeterminate scale infesting plum 6. Predatory mite Neoseiulus longispinosus (Evans) attacking Tetranychus urticae Koch 7. Monitoring of brinjal mealybug and its natural enemies 8. Solenopsis mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley infestation on hibiscus 9. Trapping of local species of Bracon spp. in rice ecosystem 10. Larvae of Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant feeding on brinjal mealybug 11. Application of entomopathogenic fungi for management of banana pseudostem borer 12. Biological control training program at Amalapuram, East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh 13. Growth of Bt isolated from soil 14. Training on management of apple root borer 15. Tomato leaf miner Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) on tomato 16. Mustard aphid Lipaphis erysimi Kaltenbach 17. Female of Trichogramma achaea Nagaraja & Nagarkatti Photo credits: Photographs 1 & 8 – OUAT; 2, 13 & 16 – AAU; 3 – GBPUAT; 4 – PAU; 5 – SKUAST; 6, 14 &15 – YSPUHF; 7 & 10 – TNAU; 9 – IGKV; 11 – KAU; 12 – DRYSRHU; 17 – Omaprakash Navik Copyright © Director, National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Insects, Bangalore, 2017 This publication is in copyright. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted in any form (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the Director, NBAII, Bangalore except for brief quotations, duly acknowledged, for academic purposes only. Cover design: Sunil Joshi Programme for 2016-17 1. Basic Research 1.1 National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources 1.1.1 Biodiversity of oophagus parasitoids with special reference to Scelionidae (Hymenoptera). 1.1.2 Biosystematics of trichogrammatidae (Hymenoptera). 1.1.3 Biodiversity of aphids, coccids and their natural enemies. 1.1.4 Taxonomy, diversity and host-parasitoid association of Ichneumonoidea with special reference to Braconinae, Doryctinae & Microgastrinae. 1.1.5 Biosystematics and diversity of entomogenous nematodes in India. 1.1.6 Monitoring of invasive pests. 1.1.7 Exploitation of Beauveria bassiana for management of stem borer (Chilo partellus) in maize and sorghum through endophytic establishment 1.1.8 Mapping of the cry gene diversity in hot and humid regions of India 1.1.9 Studies on insect viruses 1.1.10 DNA barcoding and genomics studies on natural enemies 1.1.11 Diversity and predator-prey interactions in predatory mirids & geocorids 1.2 Biodiversity of biocontrol agents from various agro-ecological zones 1.2.1 Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad 1.2.2 Biodiversity of biocontrol agents from various agro ecological zones (AAU, Anand; ANGRAU, Anakapalle; CISH, Lucknow; IGKV, Raipur; IIHR, Bangalore; IIVR, Varanasi; MPKV, Pune; OUAT, Bhubaneswar; PJTSAU, Hyderabad; SKUAST, Srinagar; TNAU, Coimbatore; UAS, Raichur; YSPUHF, Solan) 1.3 Outbreak of insect pests in different parts of the country 2. Biological control of plant disease using antagonistic organisms 2.1.1 Field evaluation of promising Trichoderma / Pseudomonas/Bacillus isolates for the management of soil-borne diseases and improved crop growth of Rice, chickpea and lentil. 2.1.2 Field evaluation of promising biological control agents chilli anthracnose disease (GBPUAT, Pantnagar; AAU, Anand, PAU, Ludhiana). 2.1.3 Large scale field demonstration of bio-control technologies in rice and tomato. 2.1.4 Evaluation of potential Trichoderma, Pseudomonas and Bacillus isolates for management of pre & post-emergence damping-off and improved growth in vegetable nursery beds (chilli, tomato and onion). 2.1.5 Molecular signatures of promising Trichoderma isolates validated under AICRP biological control at Pantnagar. 2.1.6 Development of consortium using promising Trichoderma and Pseudomonas isolates- in vitro compatibility testing. i 2.1.7 Farmers training and other extension activities. 3. Biological Control of Crop Pests 3.1 Biological control of Sugarcane Pests 3.1.1 Monitoring the sugarcane woolly aphid (SWA) incidence and impact assessment of natural enemies on its biosuppression (MPKV, PJTSAU, TNAU) 3.1.2 Management of white grub, Holotrichia consanguinea Blanch in sugarcane using bioagents (ANGRAU) 3.1.3 Bioefficacy of entomopathogenic fungi and entomopathogenic nematodes in suppression of termite incidence in sugarcane (ANGRAU) 3.1.4 IPM module for the sustainable management of early shoot borer (Chilo infuscatellus) and internode borer (Chilo sacchariphagus indicus) in sugarcane (ANGRAU) 3.2 Biological control of Cotton Pests 3.2.1 Monitoring biodiversity and outbreaks of invasive mealy bugs on cotton (MPKV, PJTSAU, TNAU, UAS-R) 3.2.2 Monitoring the biodiversity and outbreaks of sap sucking pests, mirids and their natural enemies in Bt cotton ecosystem (MPKV, PJTSAU, UAS-R) 3.2.3 Biological suppression of sap sucking pests on Bt cotton (MPKV, Pune, UAS-R) 3.2.4 Bio-efficacy of microbial insecticides against sucking pests in Bt cotton. (AAU-A) 3.2.5 Monitoring of whitefly, its natural enemies and pink bollworm in cotton (PAU) 3.2.6 Diversity of sucking pests, bollworms and their natural enemies in transgenic Bt and non- Bt cotton (PAU) 3.2.7 Habitat manipulation for the management of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) on cotton (PAU) 3.2.8 Field evaluation of biopesticides for the management of whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) on Bt cotton (PAU) 3.2.9 Evaluation of biopesticides procured from NBAIR against cotton whitefly (2016) (PAU) 3.2.10 Monitoring and biological suppression of pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (UAS-R) 3.3 Biological control of Tobacco Pests 3.3.1 Bio-intensive integrated management of tobacco aphid, Myzus nicotianae Blackman in Central Black Soils of Andhra Pradesh (CTRI, Rajahmundry) 3.4 Biological control of Rice Pests 3.4.1 Field evaluation of fungal pathogens on gundhi bug, Leptocorisa oratorius (KAU) 3.4.2 Natural enemy complex of rice yellow stem borer and leaf folder (PAU) 3.4.3 Diversity of insect pests and their natural enemies in organic and conventional rice (PAU) 3.4.4 Seasonal abundance of predatory spiders (PAU) ii 3.5 Biological control of Maize Pests 3.5.1 Bio suppression of Chilo partellus with Trichogramma chilonis on rabi maize (ANGRAU) 3.5.2 Evaluation of NBAII entomopathogenic strains against maize stem borer (ANGRAU, PJTSAU) 3.6. Biological control of Pulses Pests 3.6.1 Evaluation of biocontrol agents against pod borers of cowpea (KAU) 3.6.2 Demonstration of NBAIR liquid formulation (PDBC-BT1 and NBAIR-BTG4) against pigeon pea pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera) (UAS-R; AAU-A) 3.6.3 Evaluation of microbial agents for management of lepidopteran pests on moong bean (Spodoptera litura and Helicoverpa armigera) (PAU) 3.6.4 Evaluation of potential isolates of Pseudomonas, Trichoderma, Bacillus and microbial consortia against major diseases of cowpea. (KAU; RARS-Kumarakom 3.7 Biological control of Oilseed Pests 3.7.1 Biological suppression of mustard aphid, Lipaphis erysimi Kaltenbach (AAU-A, OUAT, PAU, MPUAT) 3.8 Biological control of Sorghum Pests 3.8.1 Field evaluation of NBAII entomopathogenic strains against stem borer, Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) in sorghum (UAS-R) 3.9 Biological control of Tropical Fruit Crop Pests 3.9.1 Monitoring the incidence of papaya mealy bugs (PMB) and its natural enemies on papaya and other alternate hosts (AAU-A; MPKV; KAU; TNAU) 3.9.2 Field evaluation of entomopathogenic fungi against banana pseudostem borer Odoiporus longicollis (KAU) 3.9.3 Laboratory and field evaluation of entomopathogenic fungi against banana root mealybug, Geococcus citrinus (KAU) 3.9.4 Laboratory evaluation of entomopathogenic fungi against pepper root mealy bug Formicoccus polysperes (KAU) 3.9.5 Field evaluation of Lecanicillium lecanii against pineapple mealy bug Dysmicoccus brevipes (KAU) 3.9.6 Entomopathogenic nematodes for management of Red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) (KAU) 3.9.7 Survey for pest incidence in mango ecosystem in coastal Andhra Pradesh and field evaluation of bio pesticide formulations against mango hoppers, Idioscopus sp (DRYSRHU) iii 3.9.8 Survey and monitoring of mealybugs and their natural enemies on fruit crops (DRYSRHU) 3.9.9 Bio-efficacy of EPNs against Citrus trunk borer, Pseudonemophas (=Anoplophora) versteegi (CAU) 3.9.10 Effect of biopesticides for the management of Mango hopper, pests Idioscopus spp in field condition (KAU Vellayani) 3.9.11 Effect of biopesticides for the management of Mango webber Orthaga spp. in field condition (KAU Vellayani, CISH) 3.10 Biological control of Temperate Fruit Crop Pests 3.10.1 Survey for identification of suitable natural enemies of codling moth, Cydia pomonella (SKUAST) 3.10.2 Field evaluation of Trichogramma embryophagum and T. cacoeciae against codling moth, Cydia pomonella on apple (SKUAST) 3.10.3 Evaluation of predatory bug, Blaptostethus pallescens against European red mite, Panonychus ulmi on apple (SKUAST) 3.10.4 Laboratory evaluation of feeding potential of Chilocorus infernalis against