(a) whether the Government has decided to promote organic control method instead
of using chemicals to save the crops from diseases;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether organic control method is effective for the control of diseases of paddy
caused by insects that damage paddy, leaves and stems and cause blight;
(d) if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the assessment result in regard to productivity after the review of the use of organic disease
control method at the national level?
MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND
MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS,
FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (PROF. K.V. THOMAS)
(a)&(b): To minimize the use of hazardous chemical pesticides Government is implementing Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) programme. IPM is an eco-friendly approach which aims at keeping pests below the economic
threshold level (ETL) by employing all available pest control methods and techniques such as cultural,
mechanical and biological control, with greater emphasis on the use of bio-pesticides. Under IPM programme
31 Central IPM Centres have been established in 28 States & one Union Territory. The mandate of these
Centres is pest/disease monitoring, production and release of bio-control agents/bio-pesticides, conservation
of bio-control agents and Human Resource Development in IPM.
(c)&(d): Incidence of various pests and diseases of rice namely stem borer, leaf folder, leaf hopper,
plant hoppers, rice blast, leaf blight, etc has been reduced through use of various bio-control agents
namely Trichogramma spp., Trichoderma spp, NPV, Pseudomonas fluorescence etc.
(e): At National level, the impact of IPM has been observed through following indicators:-
(i) Crop yield increased by 6.72 – 40.14% in rice and 22.7 – 26.63% in cotton.
(ii) Vegetable crop yield has increased by 5.9% to 25%.