Insect Pests of Fruits, Plantation, Medicinal & Aromatic Crops

1. Basis for IPM

• It is estimated that losses caused by insects accounts to nearly Rs.50, 000/- crores annually. When the concept of green revolution came, the areas of assured irrigation were identified and technologies were developed to increase production in the assured irrigation areas. Another change was the introduction of high yielding crop varieties. The varieties had very high potential and with the high inputs of fertilizer, water and pesticides they could yield substantially very high yields. But with the introduction of high yielding varieties, there were many problems of pests and diseases.
  
• The application of potential synthetic pesticides could control the pests and diseases in the initial stage. The farmers entice enormous monitory return. So the farmers still intensified the cultivation, they went in for higher inputs, they could get higher yield for 2 or 3 years. But, at one stage, the pest became to react i.e. there is always a competition between plant, pest and human. The pests overcome the stress and able to produce biotypes and became resistant. The insecticides that initially controlled the pest were not able to control the pest subsequently. Then the farmers increased the dosage and interval is shortened and combination of pesticides was used.
  
• All these means lead to aggravation of pests. The farmers and Scientists wanted to evolve new methods and strategies. Now people thought to evolve new methods which are ecologically sound, safe i.e. input should be appropriate, pesticide should be proper, also introduced cultural methods, physical methods, need based methods based in ETL, how resistant varieties can be introduced, how biological agents can be introduced and other non conventional methods including botanicals, attractants repellents, etc. So they wanted to integrate the possible methods either for a single pest or for all pests of a crop. This is the basis for IPM.