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D. Monga ¹, Kumhar Kishor Chand ¹, Rishi Kumar ¹

Affiliations
1 Central Institute for Cotton Research, Regional Station, Sirsa, 125 055, Haryana, IN

Abstract

Cadavers of Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley were collected from locations in Haryana and Punjab during 2007-2010. The entomofungal pathogen, Fusarium pallidoroseum (Cooke) Sacc., was consistently isolated from all locations during three seasons. The recovery of the entomopathogen varied among locations and seasons. Koch's postulates were proved by reisolating the same fungus from infected mealybugs. In the laboratory, F. pallidoroseum caused 80-95% mortality of P. solenopsis.

Keywords

Phenacoccus solenopsis, Cotton, Fusarium pallidoroseum.

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D. Monga ¹, Kishor Chand Kumhar ¹, Rishi Kumar ¹

Affiliations
1 Central Institute for Cotton Research, Regional Station, Sirsa 125 055, Haryana, IN

Abstract

Fusarium pallidoroseum was tested for compatibility with commonly used insecticides to include as one of the components of IPM for developing management strategy for cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley. In vitro compatibility studies of F. pallidoroseum with insecticides showed minimum inhibition of 17.9% with imidacloprid 17.8 SL (Confidor), followed by 32.4% with fipronil (Regent) and 36.0% with imidacloprid 24% flowable (Admire), while profenofos (Celcron) showed maximum inhibition (86.3%). The study indicated that imidacloprid (both formulations - SL and FS) and fipronil can be used for the management of the mealybug as these were relatively safer to F. pallidoroseum.

Keywords

Mealybug Cadavers,Fusarium pallidoroseum, Insecticides, Compatibility.

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Rishi Kumar ¹, K. R. Kranthi ¹, D. Monga ¹, S. L. Jat ¹

Affiliations
1 Central Institute for Cotton Research, Regional Station, Sirsa 125055, Haryana, IN

Abstract

Studies were conducted during 2007 and 2008 over a considerable geographical area under cotton cultivation for finding potential natural enemies of Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley. In July 2008, large numbers of mummified P. solenopsis along with healthy mealybugs were observed on heavily infested cotton crop at Central Institute for Cotton Research, Regional Station, Sirsa (Haryana) due to parasitization by Aenasius bambawalei Hayat, a potential bioagent of P. solenopsis. The parasitoid completed its life cycle on the mealybug leaving the mummified body along with the exit hole behind. The parasitization efficiency of the parasitoid from field collected mealybugs was 57.2 per cent (range 46-64%) whereas under laboratory condition, it was 60.6 per cent (45-74%). As biological control is a supplement to chemical control, the adverse effect of commonly used insecticides on cotton on the efficiency of this parasitoid was studied and monocrotophos was recorded as the most deleterious (57.52% reduction in parasitization). Spinosad and spirotetramet were found to cause the least reduction in parasitization.

Keywords

Aenasius bambawalei, Insecticidal Intervention, Parasitoid, Parasitization, Phenacoccus solenopsis.

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Rishi Kumar ¹, Krishnendu Mondal ¹, Keshab Gogoi ¹, Kamalika Bhattacharyya ¹

Affiliations
1 Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun 248 001, IN

Abstract

Young Ecologist Talk and Interact (YETI) is a unique conference in many ways. It is one of the few conferences in the world and the only one in India which is organized by the students, for the students in the field of ecology and conservation. YETI has no fixed venue and it travels across the length and breadth of India, going where the team of students takes it. The onus of organizing YETI is totally up to a self-made team of student organizers, who come together and propose this to an ever-increasing group of YETI members.

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S. Kranthi ¹, U. Satija ¹, P. Pusadkar ¹, Rishi Kumar ², C. S. Shastri ¹, S. Ansari ¹, H. B. Santosh ¹, D. Monga ², K. R. Kranthi ¹

Affiliations
1 ICAR-Central Institute for Cotton Research, Post Bag No. 2, Shankar Nagar P.O., Nagpur 440 010, IN
2 ICAR-Central Institute for Cotton Research, Regional Station, Sirsa 125 055, IN

Abstract

Genetically modified (GM) cotton fortified with cry1Ac (crystal 1Ac) gene derived from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), commonly known as Bt-cotton, was approved in 2002 for commercial cultivation in India. The Cry1Ac protein expressed in Bt-cotton is toxic to the three major cotton bollworms: the American bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera:Noctuidae), pink bollworm Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera:Gelechiidae) and spotted bollworms Earias vittella (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera:Noctuidae) and Earias insulana (Boisduval) (Lepidoptera:Noctuidae).

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Rishi Kumar ¹, D. Monga ¹, V. Chinna Babu Naik ², Paramjit Singh ¹, V. N. Waghmare ²

Affiliations
1 ICAR-Central Institute for Cotton Research, Regional Station, Sirsa 125 055, IN
2 ICAR-Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur 440 010, IN

Abstract

Pink Bollworm (PBW) incidence on Bollgard-II (BG II) cotton was not observed so far in North Zone of India. During 2018–19 cotton season, BG II cotton was found infested withPink Bollworm at one location in Haryana and two locations inPunjab near cotton ginning and oil extraction units. Cotton seeds are being procured from the central and south India by many units where PBW has already acquired resistance against BG II hybrids. Bioecological and resistance monitoring studies of larvae collected from the infested location revealed absence of larval diapauses in surviving population and resistance levels equivalent to central/south zone populations. The threat perception of pink bollworm in north zone on BG II cotton due to transport of resistant larvae along with cotton seed is discussed.

Keywords

Cotton Seeds, Diapause, Infestations, Pheromone Traps, Pink Bollworm.

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Vijay Kumar ¹, Jagdev Singh Kular ¹, Rishi Kumar ², Sukhdev Singh Sidhu ³, Pardeep Kumar Chhuneja ¹

Affiliations
1 Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana 141 004, IN
2 ICAR-Central Institute of Cotton Research, Sirsa 125 055, IN
3 Department of Agriculture (Punjab), Mohali 160 055, IN

Abstract

In 2015, a whitefly epidemic devastated cotton in about 1.5 m ha in North India and reduced the yield level to about 35% of average productivity in the state of Punjab. Protection of crop from sucking insect pests, including whitefly, is primarily based on insecticides. A more knowledgeintensive and multidisciplinary approach which can lead to a dramatic reduction in chemical use combined with unprecedented improvement in productivity should qualify as a worthy successor to the green revolution. Interventions include host plant resistance, robust surveillance and ETLbased decision-making, managing non-crop hosts, pest resurgence curtailment through targeted biopesticide and pesticide application, crop nutrition, and abiotic stress amelioration. Research refinements even as implementation progressed, high intensity outreach and cotton belt-wide implementation not just restored productivity, but also resulted in achieving record yields of 756, 750 and 778 kg lint/ha in 2016, 2017 and 2018 respectively, compared with 197 kg lint/ha in 2015 in Punjab, and pesticide savings during these years over 2015 were INR 2589/ha, 2808/ha and 3060/ha respectively. The success story and its modus operandi have implications for ‘new agriculture’, which needs to be disseminated and debated widely.

Keywords

Agroecosystem, Bemisia tabaci, Bt-cotton, Community-Based Approach.

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Rishi Kumar ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Economics and Finance Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani, Hyderabad, IN

Abstract

The paper aims to study the economic, social and political impact of rural decentralisation in Kesla, a tribal-dominated block of Madhya Pradesh. The analysis was done using the primary data gathered through the field visit. While the political impact was understood by assessing the working of Gram Sabhas, the economic and social impact was evaluated in terms of the status of delivery of public goods and services, and the working of government schemes. The findings draw attention to the fact that decentralisation in the surveyed areas has not delivered optimal results.

Keywords

Rural Decentralisation, Panchayats, Gram Sabha, Public Goods and Services.

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V. S. Nagrare ¹, Babasaheb B. Fand ¹, Rishi Kumar ², V. Chinna Babu Naik ¹, Kundan Bhure ¹, Bhausaheb Naikwadi ¹, Nandini Gokte-Narkhedkar ¹, V. N. Waghmare ¹

Affiliations
1 ICAR-Central Institute for Cotton Research (ICAR-CICR), Nagpur 440010, Maharashtra, IN
2 ICAR-Central Institute for Cotton Research (ICAR-CICR), Regional Station, Sirsa 125055, Haryana, IN

Abstract

Globally cotton is the most important natural fibre crop being cultivated commercially for domestic textile needs and export. Cotton plays an important role in India’s economy, occupies largest acreage and highest production in the world. In India, cotton is being grown in 10 major states divided in 3 distinct zones viz., north, central and south with varying climate and soil. Despite large acreage, cotton productivity in India is far below world average due to variety of reasons. Among them damage caused due to arthropod pests is vital. In this article authors have attempted through extensive literature survey, to provide up to date information on arthropod pests and their natural enemies associated with cotton crop in India. It is observed that, in India, cotton crop is attacked by 251 arthropod pest species (including insect and mites) belonging to 9 insect orders and 1 order from Acarina. Among these, about 12 species of insects are major pests causing significant losses to cotton crop while remaining species are either occasional, sporadic or minor in nature. Overall these pests cause economic damage to cotton crop in a range between 20-60 per cent. The major arthropod pests are sucking insects namely leafhopper Amrasca biguttula biguttula (Ishida), aphid Aphis gossypii Glover, thrips Thrips tabaci Lindeman., whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), Cotton mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley, Papaya mealybug Paracoccus marginatus Williams and Granara de Willink, and Indian cotton mirid bug Creontiades biseratense (Distant). The bollworm complex is another major group of insects that attack cotton and comprises of American bollworm Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner), spotted bollworms Earias insulana (Boisduval), E. vitella (F.) and pink bollworm Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders). Other pests like stem weevil Pempherulus affinis Faust and tobacco caterpillar Spodoptera litura F., are also categorized as major pests. A rich fauna of 368 natural enemies (including 174 species of predators and 194 species of parasitoids/parasites) play significant role as biological control agents to check arthropod pests in cotton ecosystems of India. In this review there is addition of 85 arthropod pests over previously reported 166 arthropod pests. This updated information on cotton pests and their important natural enemies may serve as an important guide to researchers and policy makers in carrying out potential pest risk assessment and devising appropriate management strategies for economically damaging cotton pests.

Keywords

Cotton, India, Cotton Ecosystem, Arthropod Pests, Fauna, Insects, Mites, Sucking Pests, Bollworms, Resurgence, Natural Enemies, Predators, Parasitoids.

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