Biological control: An integral component of IPM in sugarcane

摘要

Sugarcane is an important cash crop of Punjab. During 2013-14, it occupied an area of about 89,000 hectares in the state, giving an average yield of 750 q/ha and average sugar recovery of 9.4 per cent. The insect-pests are one of the major reasons forreduction in the yield and quality of sugarcane. Farmers usually depend on insecticides forthe control of these insect-pests. However, the indiscriminate and broadly unscientific application of a number of different synthetic chemicals to has led to many ecological backlashes. Moreover, the physical characteristic of the crop and ratooning limits the proper application of insecticide. Due to this, there is a renewed interest in eco-friendly approaches for pest management and hence, the rationale for bio-intensive integrated pest management (IPM) is irrefutable. An important difference between conventional and bio-intensive IPM is the emphasis of the latter is on proactive measures to redesign the agricultural eco-system to the disadvantage of a pest and to the advantage of its natural enemy complex.