Chapter 4 Pest Management
4.4. R EDUCING P ESTICIDE C ONSUMPTION IN I NDIAN A GRICULTURE
viii. Creation of field diagnosis protocols that serve as a step-by-step guide for diagnosis of field problems. A protocol should encompass all the known problems of a crop and include various diagnostic approaches like visual, chemical, digital, etc. These protocols should be revised from time-to-time as new technologies, new problems, new research findings, etc., come to light.
ix. Creation of a Centralised Prescription Repository (CPR), that caters to all the diverse cropping situations and preferences. The CPR should contain all the authentic prescriptions to tackle pest situations at different crop stages and at varying intensities of damage for different regions of the country. Further, the CPR should include the entire range of preferences such as biological, organic, conventional, mechanical, cultural, etc., for each specific agro-climatic zone. The CPR should be continuously updated with inputs based on latest research findings, changing pest scenarios, policies and other regulations, technologies developed, etc.
This should be backed by suitable policies that is binding for all to adopt from the prescriptions listed in the CPR.
x. Big data analytics of pest situations being reported from across the country: As digital extension systems are continuously expanding in the country, there is a need for establishing a big data analytics and interpretation centre. This centre should be able to provide all the necessary alerts across every district of the nation for each of the cultivated crops. Lack of such data systems has led to delayed administrative and policy-level decisions. Effective data analytics can help in interpretation of data and drawing of messages for containing pests within certain limits of their occurrences.
Large scale pest occurrences and server damages can such data analytics would be of vital importance for predicting pest occurrences and for pest quarantine.
world shows, that pesticide use can be reduced considerably without unduly reducing yields or increasing costs of production. A reduction of pesticide use is feasible already within the current production systems. New knowledge, technologies and alternatives available now, clubbed with traditional practice of cultivation can also be introduced to minimize or optimize the use of pesticide. In case of exports in particular, strict adherence to ‘Maximum Residue Levels’ (MRL) as laid down by the importing countries becomes essential.
The problems of excessive pesticide usage can be addressed through multi-stakeholder participation. In addition to farmers, pesticide producers and sellers, middleman of vegetable trade and consumers should also be involved in diagnosis of the problems and designing of approaches. A proper understanding of the concerns may help in reducing the magnitude of use of pesticides in agriculture. Some suggestions are made below:
All stake holders should be sensitized on “Read the Label First” for correct use of pesticides, which reduces the cost of cultivation.
CIBRC may make amendments, that lets notifying leaflets only in two languages, but by using bold letters and pictorial representation of target pest and crop for easy understanding of recommend use by farmers.
The availability of bio-pesticides, mass trapping methods and mating disruptors is very important for use of environmental friendly tools.
The traditional chemical pesticides which are required to be used at higher doses be eliminated in phases through regular reviews by Registration Committee.
Pest life-cycle and behavior based management practices be popularized for effective management of the critical pests such as pink boll worm, army worms, fruit borers, mealy bugs, wilt fungus, vertebrates etc.
Agro-Ecosystem Analysis, Ecological Engineering methods and Pest-Defender Analysis be popularized among all extension staff for effective crop protection practices.
Discourage use of pesticides-mixtures / cocktails etc.
The pesticide packages be made in such a way, that the packing is sufficient for one acre (packing for acre – crop wise), so that farmers do not have to purchase more than required. Considering that majority of the land holdings are small & marginal, smaller packages will be cost-effective.
Government may approve only calibrated and suitable sprayers / pesticide application / plant protection equipments.
Continuous extension visits and on-farm demonstration on good spraying practices and recommended use of pesticides and their efficacies in case of areas of pest severity / epidemics.
All Research Stations / Institutes should conduct model farm / crop demonstrations at village level for promoting methods for reducing the use of pesticides and cost of cultivation. At every farm demo site, the budget balance sheet should be displayed.
Reduction of pesticides in agriculture is necessary to ensure a more resource efficient approach.
This reduction can be achieved primarily by a combination of:
Use of advanced technology in conventional agriculture
Introduction of climate inductive organic crop production leading to allied organic sectors; cultures of agriculture e.g. sericulture, apiculture, aquaculture, including livestock and animal husbandry
Overall plant protection policy changes at the central level and stringent compliance at the state level.
This paradigm shift of adopting pest management strategy in preference to the approach of killing of pests enables application of a combined approach of mechanical, chemical, thermal, or biological combat of pests without harming the bio-diversity. The importance of ‘Threshold Limits’ (THLs) needs to be re-worked and re-emphasized. Farmers should be made aware of such approaches, and also encouraged to take advantage of innovative technologies like:
Use of injection syringes: Injection syringes can help the farmer minimize pesticide use. Typically, pesticide and water are mixed to the full capacity of the sprayer. On the contrary injection syringes allow the farmer/operator to change the concentration of the single pesticide or select different mixtures of pesticides as needed.
Agro-chemical application for orchards without spraying: Agro-chemicals are applied to trees for many reasons. For example, insecticides control insect pests, fungicides control fungal diseases, nutrients and plant growth regulators affect growth, and herbicides control unwanted plants or weeds or prevent sprouting after tree removal. Spraying is the most typical methodology of application of such products. It is fast, convenient and uses readily available equipment, and is understood to a certain level of utilization.
The down side, however of spraying is that much of the chemical being applied is wasted, either due to drift, run-off, or because it cannot be applied precisely to the location where it is needed on the trees. In certain cases, pesticides are more effective when placed inside the tree/s or orchards, and this is difficult with spraying. Some alternative methods of applying chemicals on trees that can be more efficient and targeted include i) trunk implantation; ii) trunk injection;
iii) soil injection/drenching; and iv) trunk basal spray.
Injection and implantation methods probably are most useful where soil access is limited or extensive root damage may have occurred. Even in such cases, a trunk basal spray would more likely work, assuming the product is labeled for the pest in question and for the intended type of application. Use of GPS: GPS can reduce pesticide consumption by approximately 10 per cent, as it prevents double treatments in wedges and while turning. It can be used to calculate
the needed amount of pesticides and can be connected to sowing/ planting machines allowing the seeds or the plants to be placed in a pattern, which subsequently allow to hoe the plants across the rows and to hoe closer to the rows than what is possible without GPS.
Quadcopters/Drone based fertilizer and pesticide spraying system: Fertilizers and pesticides (biological & chemical) are primarily required for the growth of crops &
control of pests, respectively. World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there occur more than 1 million pesticide poisoning cases every year, out of which more than 100,000 deaths are of spray operators in developing countries. UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) can be deployed to avoid poisoning incidents linked to application of pesticides & fertilizers. Such applications can be localised, restricted or specific in nature to avoid exposure of spray operators during application. Multiple uses of such UAVs can also relay remote sensing images that may be analysed by appropriate available software.
GPS targeted spray application, or other chemical application through electronic control technology: Electronically-controlled or managed chemical spray application technologies can be more precisely used for application of agricultural pesticides at intended targets. Reduced chemical drift will improve water quality by minimizing the delivery of chemical compounds through the air to water bodies. Such application systems require the use of GPS data loggers (i.e., devices that record the track, time and location of field trips for download to maps) in order to document site-specific compliance with all label requirements for drift mitigation.
Computer-assisted information gathering and application: Information technology can be used to gather information about the health status of crops and compare conditions with a computer model. The resulting management information can be used to develop a turf spraying program based on observations of soil type, weed and disease status, along with response to pesticides.
A hand-held data logger can be used with a global position indicator, so that weed or diseased patches can be identified and located for spot treatment. Smart cards and disc systems allow information to be downloaded from the office computer into the sprayer controller.
Satellite positioning would indicate the grid reference. The 'smart card' contains information on the level of infestation, allowing the pesticide to be applied at varying levels according to the degree of infestation. As the injection sprayer drives towards a patch of weeds or diseased area, the vehicle position indicator informs the sprayer controller and switches on a particular injection pump. A patch of weeds or disease can be spot treated with pesticide as sprayer passes. As the weed infestation is passed, the sprayer can be switched off.
The potential for using all forms of sophisticated electronics as an aid to both management and practical application of pesticides needs to be encouraged. While in order to overcome concerns of the degree of sophistication, particularly in regard to reliability in a harsh environment, maintenance, fault finding and longevity, training in
the correct use of such devices is of paramount importance.
To summarize, one or more of the following techniques can be utilized for GPS and computer aided pest control:
i. Precision guidance systems that reduce ground or aerial spray overlap to less than 12 inches.
ii. Smart sprayers that utilize automatic sensors and computer controlled nozzles to turn individual nozzles on and off.
iii. Computer guided application systems that integrate real time meteorological data and computer model guidance to reduce pesticide drift from aerial application iv. Electrostatic spray and re-circulating spray technologies that capture and reuse
overspray to reduce overall pesticide application rate and off-site spray drift v. GPS, plant recognition systems, direct injection sprayers, and hot water/steam
sprayers may enable applicators to rationalize their pesticide use, reduce environmental pollution and reduce operator contamination.
vi. Variable rate application of pesticides along with GPS will result in more appropriate use of pesticides with an overall reduction in application rates, thereby satisfying environmentalists, legislators and applicators.
vii. Information technology systems already exist, that allow development of compu- ter aided pesticide application technology. The new systems will enable better informed pesticide application strategy and improved decision-making skills.
Some of the methodologies that may be considered to target reduced usage of pesticides in agriculture are:
i. Assessing the external costs of pesticide use
ii. Re-designing farming systems based on agro-ecology iii. Breeding robust varieties with resistance to pests
iv. Advancing alternative crop protection methods, including sustainable farming systems
v. Adequately funding research and development activities; as also capacity building vi. Strengthening know-how on alternatives and on safe use
vii. Applying agro-ecology for designing resilient farming systems viii. Education, training and information for efficient pest management
ix. Capacity building on safe use
x. Increasing the demand for low-/no-pesticide agri-produce xi. Applying restrictions on hazardous pesticides
xii. Raising awareness about pesticide issues among consumer, policy & decision makers, and other stakeholders
xiii. Revisiting the regulatory practices, and related policies and legislation xiv. Assessing the risks of pesticides and monitoring progress
xv. New sprayer technology to reduce pesticide use
xvi. Nano-technological interventions to reduce pesticide use in crop protection