Introduction

The Science and Society division of the Department of Science and Technology has been providing core support to our organization for the last four years. With this support we have identified the following activities.

• Development of Biopesticides
• Experimentation on various aspects of Vrkshayurveda (Traditional Indian Plant Science) with focus on Pest Control and Crop Protection and enhancement of yield.
• Development of a database on Traditional Agriculture with emphasis on non chemical methods of pest control and crop protection

Simple, yet sophisticated backyard technologies for preparing storage forms of biopesticides.

ACTIVITIES IMPLEMENTED AND UNDER IMPLEMENTATION

Development of Biopesticides and Experimentation on various aspects of Vrkshayurveda

• Studies have been carried out on biopesticidal properties of twelve selected plants, which were short listed based on literature, farmers practices in the field and references in classical texts.

• Studies have been carried out on two new plants, which have hitherto not been mentioned in literature for their biopesticidal properties belonging to the genera Andrographis and Sida.

• A large number of storage forms of biopesticides have been prepared based on the Ayurvedic method including Arkam, Asavam, Thailam, Ksharam and Kashayam fortified with food grade preservatives.

• Detailed investigations and experiments with rigorous experimental design (involving controls, replicates and randomized blocks) have been carried out on two types of preparations namely – Arkam and preserved Kashayam.
  
  

  Experimental plots such as the one shown here are used to conduct experiments on the efficacy of various biopesticides on different crops .

• Experiments have been carried out on four selected crops namely paddy, cotton, groundnut and Jasmine besides the four vegetables – ladies finger, tomato, brinjal and chilli.

• Promising biopesticides have been identified for particular uses such as – for the paddy crop (for leaf folder, bacterial leaf blot and helminthosporium leaf spot) and vegetables (aphids and borers).
  
  

  CIKS staff examine some biopesticides that have been prepared at a Biopesticide unit set up under the project.

  
  
• Nine micro scale biopesticides units have been set up at the village level in four districts of Kancheepuram, Thiruvannamalai, Thiruvallur and Nagapattinam in Tamilnadu.
• An insect rearing laboratory has been set up and rearing procedures have been standardized for – Spodoptera and Aphids. Bioassay procedures have been standardized in the case of Spodoptera.

• Natural products as growth promoters have been tested out for crops, trees and vegetables. Promising results have been obtained in some cases, which are being pursued. (eg.) Acorus calamus as a growth promoter for grains.

• Work has commenced for studying the use of animal products used in traditional agriculture.

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DATABASE ON TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURE

• A preliminary survey of literature has been completed where we have identified source material relating to traditional agriculture drawn from classical texts and reports of farmers practices.

• A survey of this literature has been carried out with respect to prescriptions and recipes relating to some identified crops of interest that have been short listed.

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OTHER ACTIVITIES

We have published a considerable number of books, posters, audiovisuals as training material. Visit our publications section for the full list .

• A series of educational material have been produced in the form of booklets, posters, audiovisuals, web learning modules etc., on various aspects of the above technologies.

• We have initiated a programme for restoration of tsunami affected agricultural lands in the Nagapattinam district of Tamilnadu building upon traditional sustainable agricultural practices.

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INSECT REARING LABORATORY

A laboratory with facilities for rearing insects has been setup as a part of this programme in Sirkazhi, Nagapattinam district. Currently rearing of Spodoptera litura has been taken up in this lab. Spodoptera litura commonly known as tobacco caterpillar belongs to the order Lepidoptera. They are stout medium sized moths with pale gray to dark brown forewings and white hind wings. It is a polyphagus pest with a life cycle of 50 – 60 days. They have four different life stages viz., egg, larva, pupa and adult. Rearing of insects has been taken up to conduct bioassay studies.

A spodoptera rearing cage at our insect rearing lab at Sirkazhi.

Conducting experiments in the field is a laborious and highly time-consuming task. Hence bioassay studies in the lab are an easier alternative to test the efficacy of biopesticides both in the fresh and storage forms. The bioassay technique is a study of the response of individual organisms when exposed to a toxicant. It involves laboratory investigations wherein the variable factors tested are the amount of the toxicant to which the organisms are exposed and the time of exposure. We have standardized bioassay and rearing techniques.

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