Comparing various bio-intensive pest management modules in rice

Rice is the key cereal crop in the tropics, supporting diverse pests and natural enemy populations. Recurrent pest outbreaks and yield losses led farmers to rely on extensive insecticide application, disturbing the stability of rice ecosystems and increasing residues in the harvestable products. A study has been conducted to assess the impact of various modules of Bio-Intensive Pest Management (BIPM) on its conservational potential and sustainability in comparison with Farmers’ Practices (FP) in Nalgonda district of Telangana state during kharif-2020. The BIPM practices included application of farm yard manure; rice husk ash; clipping of seedlings; alleyways and weekly release of Trichogramma japonicum in the main field; wet seed treatment and foliar application with Pseudomonas fluorescens (BIPM 1), Trichoderma asperellum strain TAIK1 (BIPM 2) and Bacillus cabrialesii strain BIK3 (BIPM 3). Whereas, FP 1 with need-based insecticide spraying and FP 2 with schedule-based insecticide spraying and Untreated control with (UC) with no intervention. The observations were taken by visual counts at 15-day intervals. The incidence of Cnaphalocrocis medinalis was highest in UC (9.50), followed by BIPM 1 (7.25) and least in FP 2 (2.50) whereas the highest mean population of Apanteles sp. was found in the untreated control (13.75), followed by BIPM 3 (9.50) and least in FP 2 (4.25). The Benefit Cost Ratios (BCR) of BIPM 3 (1.68) were highest followed by BIPM 1 (1.64) and least in FP 2 (1.40) elucidating that BIPM practices can be more economically feasible. The Shannon-Wiener Index for species diversity and species evenness was higher in BIPM treatments as compared to farmers’ practices indicating the potential of these BIPM treatments in natural pest control and maintaining crop ecosystem stability.