Productive agriculture systems are always vulnerable to hazards of climate and pests and diseases causing threat to food security of any nation. Healthy and productive plants not only are essential but are the very essence of humankind, environment, for food, fiber, energy, and general well-being. Among the various disciplines of agriculture, plant pathology is an important stream, as it pertains to Plant diseases — diagnosis, management, forecasting and forewarning, quarantine host-pathogen interactions, pathogen resistance and management, all of which can help enhance yield and quality of horticultural crops. This is beneficial not just to farmers, but also to the society at large. Pathologists play a crucial role in “management of diseases through chemicals, agronomic practices, and biological control or by means of integrated diseases management,” A plant pathologist’s job is not confined to research. “Monitoring pest and diseases in the state, giving necessary warnings for any outbreak of crop diseases, visiting the infected areas along with extension officials of agricultural department and studying the nature of damage, cause and suggesting suitable remedial measures to save crop and increase productivity are also undertaken by us. Further, we also impart training to agricultural extension officers and farmers.
The division of Plant Pathology at Indian Institute of Horticultural Research was established in 1968 to take care of the health of horticultural plants. Being the first premier national institute of horticulture, a visionary approach was adopted based on basic and applied research for the management of diseases caused by diverse microorganisms on a plethora of horticultural crops. This ushered establishment of specialized labs for the fungal diseases of fruit crops, vegetable crops, ornamental and medicinal crops; bacterial, viral, viroid and phytoplasma diseases of horticultural crops. The goal of these specialized labs with dedicated expertise was to work in unison to achieve productive and healthy horticultural crops. To achieve this goal, the division of plant pathology has shown both horizontal and vertical growth in terms of plant protection knowledge to reach the unreached. The division also envisioned the role of beneficial microbes, especially fungi and bacteria, which could contribute to the well being of mankind and environment. This gave birth to a specialized Mushroom research lab adding new dimension for plant protection in terms of neutra and pharmaceutical importance to man kind assuring nutritional security
Mandate :
- Division of Plant Pathology will continue to maintain the vigil to meet emerging challenges due to rapid crop diversification, increased farming, increased germplasm movement and climate change, which are bringing changes to host-pathogen dynamics leading to emergence and reemergence of plant pathogens in horticultural Crops
- Development of Diagnostics and to offer diagnostic services to SAUs, Farmers and Private seed and Tissue culture industries. Also to severe as a center for quarantine issues and phytosanitary certification
- Continue to provide solutions and research leads to the plant disease problems in horticultural crops, understand disease epidemiology and develop durable disease management strategies.
- Develop rapid screening methods for identification of resistance sources and to use in breeding for disease resistance.
- Continue our collaboration with international and national institutions for data on distribution of plant diseases and emergence of new diseases essential to develop and/or modify existing methods of diagnosis for effective disease management strategies
- To provide training and services to farmers, extension agents, researchers in NARS and students to strengthen the human resource development specially for disease management in horticultural crops
- Agro/ lignocellulosic waste management through the production of edible and medicinal mushrooms
- Utilization of mushrooms for malnutrition management through the production of mushroom nutraceuticals
- Enhancing input efficiency of energy, water and manpower in mushroom production processes through mechanization
- Documentation and conservation of the indigenous macrofungi wealth of the country
- Making mushroom production enterprise zero waste enterprise through the utilization of mushroom cultivation process wastes for various beneficial purposes
- To provide support through training and quality spawn to entrepreneurs, institutions, NGOs, State departments and KVKs.
Thrust Areas: The division focuses on plant diseases caused by bacteria, fungi, virus, viroid and phytoplasma on fruits, vegetable, medicinal and ornamental crops. Also concentrates research on mushroom improvement and the advancement of mushroom science and technology.
Major areas of Research:
- Survey and assessment of losses due to major and emerging diseases
- Development of Disease diagnostics
- Identification and Molecular characterization of pathogens
- Epidemiology and Forewarning systems
- Identifying source of resistance
- Identification of efficient strains of bioagents for plant health management
- Development of Integrated Disease Management strategies
- Technology for the commercial production of edible and medicinal mushrooms
- Technology for the production of mineral rich mushrooms
- Production of mushroom fortified food supplements for daily diet
- Biodiversity and conservation mushroom
- Quality seed production and training
Division of Entomology and Nematology
The research on plant protection aspects was started in 1970’s in the division of Entomology and Nematology, headed by Late Dr. V.G. Prasad. The division laid foundation for biocontrol work, which started at IIHR as an AICR Project in 1977 and and latler was made independent as Project Directorate f Biological Control (presently, National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Insects, NBAII). The pesticide residues work in which safe waiting periods were fixed for many pesticides for both fruits and vegetables was also initiated then. From its inception, the Division has been the leader in IPM of fruits and vegetables. Work on pest management of ornamental and medicinal crops was initiated in 1980.
Mandate
- To carry out basic and strategic research for the management of pests of Horticultural crops (vegetables, fruits, ornamental, medicinal and aromatic crops).
- To Develop Integrated Pest Management packages and Integrated Nematode Management packages by emphasizing ecofriendly pest management.
- To conduct teaching and training programmes for development of human resources in pest management.
- To develop innovative products and commercialize the same through ITMU and public and private partnership (PPP).
Thrust areas (12th FYP)
- Semiochemical based pest management in horticultural crops.
- Development of commercially viable formulations of biopesticides and botanicals for insect and nematode pests.
- Management of borer pests in Horticultural crops.
- Insect vector-Virus interaction studies
- Molecular systematics and basic physiological studies of sucking pests in Horticultural crops
- Insecticide Resistance Management
- Pest Management under protected conditions.
- Studies on effect of climate change on horticultural crop pests
Significant achievements:
The division has six different laboratories focusing on different aspects of horticultural crop pest management including nematodes in major fruits, vegetables, ornamental, medicinal and aromatic crops. The division has been conducting several research projects sponsored by ICAR and other central government departments, apart from internationally funded projects. They include ICAR ad-hoc, AICRP’s, NATP, DBT, DST, NABARD, APEDA sponsored projects etc. This division was also involved in the SAVERNET phase I and II in collaboration with AVRDC, Taiwan; USDA funded project on IPM in vegetable crops; PL-480 project on location of source of resistance to fruit fly in cucurbits and an international India-UK (DFID)-Fruit fly project.
A scientific society entitled “Association for Advancement for Pest Management of Horticultural Ecosystems” (AAPMHE) was started in July, 1994 with an aim to promote the cause of Plant Protection in Horticulture. AAPMHE has been publishing a journal entitled “Pest Management in Horticultural Ecosystems” bi-annually.
The division has come out with several technologies for the management of insect and nematode pests on various horticultural crops, some of them are listed below.
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in cabbage
- IPM in Tomato
- IPM of cucurbit fruit fly
- IPM of mango fruit fly
- IPM of grape thrips
- IPM of sapota seed borer
- IPM of stone weevil in mango
- Biocontrol technology for the management of mealy bugs on fruit crops
- Biological control of exotic spiraling whitefly on horticultural crops
- Isolation and use of Metarhizium anisopliae against mango hoppers.
- Microbial control of lepidopterous pests of cabbage and tomato fruit borer.
- Development and use of botanicals (neem and pongamia soaps) for the management of vegetable crop pests
- Pest management in capsicum and tomato under polyhouse conditions.
- Integrated Pest Management in ornamental crops (rose, gerbera, chrysanthemum and jasmine).
- Development of organic modules for the management of pests of rose and gerbera under Polyhouse
- Use of biopesticides for the management of nematodes in fruits, vegetables and ornamental crops.
- Management of vertebrate pests (Grapes)
Technologies commercialised
- Methyl eugenol pheromone traps for mango fruit fly.
- Cuelure pheromone traps for cucurbit fruit fly
- Sealer cum Healer for the management of stem borers
- Hot water treatment for fruit fly management
- Neem soap and Pongamia soap for insect pest management in vegetables
- Trichoderma viride – 1.5% W.P for nematode management
- Trichoderma harzianum – 1% W.P, Paecilomyces lilacinus – 1% W.P etc. for some fungal and nematode disease management
List of varieties/germplasm collections resistant/least susceptible to insect and mite pests
Crop |
Pests |
Resistant/ tolerant/ Least Susceptible varieties genotypes |
Fruit crops |
||
Mango |
Hoppers |
Lazzat Bhakshi, Baneshan, Chinnarasam and Khader |
Fruit fly |
EC95862, Langra (least susceptible) |
|
Banana |
Thrips |
Vennon, Klue taperod and Peyan |
Rhizome weevil |
Locatan,Chakkia,Kostha,Bontha,Malaimonthan,Peapeykunnan, Jamini |
|
Lacewing bug |
Jurmony, Thattilakuman, Malakali, Krishna Vazhai and Kali |
|
Citrus |
Leaf miner |
Rubidoux,Tomari,Citrumelo,Savage,Morton, Troyer and Carrizo |
psyllids |
Cleopatra, Gal , Kagzi lime ,Karna kata and Rubidoux |
|
Pomegranate |
Fruit borer |
Debano Bosco and Jyoti |
Guava |
Fruit fly |
Red flesh, Pink flesh and Strawberry |
Fruit borer |
Dudhkhaja, Arka kiran, Lalit and Hisar Surkha |
|
Sapota |
Fruit fly |
PKM-1,PKM-2,DHS-1,DHS-2,Bhuripatti and Pilipatta |
Custard Apple |
Fruit fly |
Red Sitaphal, Pink Mammoth |
Aonla |
Fruit borer |
NA-10, Chakaiya |
Jackfruit |
Shoot and Fruit borer |
G-1, G-2, G-9 and ACC G-65 |
Vegetable crops |
||
Tomato |
Fruit borer |
T 27 and T 32 |
whitefly |
Lycopersicon hirsutum f. glabaratum, Solanum pennellii,Avinash-1, Avinash-2,Mruthyunjaya-1, Mruthyunjaya-2 and Mruthyunjaya-3 |
|
Spider mite |
PI 251303, Lycopersicon hirsutum f. glabaratum and Lycopersicon hirsutum f. typicum |
|
Brinjal |
Fruit and shoot borer |
PPC-2, Aushey, H165, Thorn, Pendy, Punjab Barsati, pusa purple cluster, Arka Kusmak, Doli-5, H 407, HLB-12, JC-1, GBH-1,JC-2, Pant Brinjal Hybrid 1 and PPI 1 |
Leafhopper |
S-34 and S-258 |
|
Lady bird beetle |
Solanum mammosum and Solanum viarum |
|
Aphids |
Annamalai |
|
Chilli |
Thrips and Mites |
NT46A (T), Punjab Lal, Pusa Jwala, Phule Jyoti, Arka Meghana and Pant C 1 |
Capsicum |
Whitefly |
California wounder Yolo wounder and Koral |
Thrips and Mites |
Pusa Jwala and Phule Jyoti |
|
Onion |
Thrips |
TNAU hybrids CO2, CO3 and CO4 |
Cowpea |
Leafhopper |
TVu 123 and Vita 3 |
Aphids |
TVu 310, TVu 801, TVu 408 and 3000 |
|
Thrips |
TVu 1509 and TVx 3236 |
|
Pod borer |
TVu 946,TVu 1896 ,AG,H51-1 and 2AK |
|
French bean |
Bean fly |
E30 and E34 |
Okra |
Leafhoppers |
Punjab Padmini |
Fruit borer |
AE-22, AE-52, Wonderful Pink, Pusa A-4, Pusa Sawani, Parkins long green, Karnal Special, Velvet, IIHR-4, Siswal-1 and 2 |
|
Whitefly |
Arka Anamika, Hisar unnnat, Varsha Uphar ,P 7 Pusa Sawani, Pusa A 4, Arka Abhay, , Hisar Naveen, HBH-142 (F1 hybrid), Gujarat Anand Okra-5, CO 1, CO 3, COBhH 1, Azad Bhindi -1 and Azad Bhindi-3 |
|
Aphid |
Pusa A 4 and Gujarat Anand Okra-5 |
|
Muskmelon |
Fruitfly |
MM 102-1, IHR-19, 22, 32, 40and Karda |
Red pumpkin beetle |
Casaba |
|
Watermelon |
Red pumpkin beetle |
72 and 98 |
Aphids |
PI 299563 |
|
Spider Mite |
Congo, Giza 1, Durgapur Kesar (RW 187-2) Mithila, Suganthi, Kiran, Vishal and Simran |
|
Ber |
Resistant to fruit borer |
Banarsi Pewandi, Ajmeri, Gola, Gurgaon and Jhajjar |
Tolerant to fruit fly |
Umran and Tikkadi |
|
Pumpkin |
Fruitfly |
Arka Suryamukhi, IHR-32, IHR79-2 and IHR 83 |
Red pumpkin beetle |
596-2 and 613 |
|
Ornamental crops |
||
Chrysanthemum |
Thrips |
‘Swetha Sringar’, ‘Varthur’, ‘Lemon’, ‘Co-2’, ‘Mother Teresa’ |
Source:
- Reddy PP, Verghese A and Kumar NKK (2001). Integrated pest management in Horticultural Ecosystems. Capital publishing Company (India), NewDelhi.24-45p.
- Palaniswamy S, Natarajan N, Sivasubramanian P, Karuppuchamy P and Douressamy S (2005). Recent advances in Host Plant Resistance. Proceedings of the National Training on Recent advances in Host Plant Resistance conducted from February 9-March 1,2005by the Centre of Advanced Studies in Entomology, TNAU, Coimbatore. 141-186 pp.
List of varieties & hybrids tolerant / resistant to nematodes
Crop |
Nematode |
Resistant/ tolerant varieties/ hybrid lines |
Fruit crops |
||
Banana |
Radopholus similis |
Kadali, Pedalimoongil, Peykunnan, Ayiramkapoovan, Kunnan, Pisang Seribu, Tongat, Vennettu Kunnan, Anaikomban |
Citrus |
Tylenchulus semipenetrans |
Trifoliate orange, Swingle Citrumello |
Pratylenchus coffeae |
Poncirus trifoliata Microcitrus selections |
|
Grapevine |
Meloidogyne incognita |
Black Champa, Dogridge, 1613, Salt Creek, Cardinal, Banquabad, Zinfundel, Kandharia, Kishmish Chorni, Redvine, Convert Large Black, Luglienga |
Rotylenchulus reniformis |
Dakshi, Joazbeli, Mukchilani |
|
Papaya |
R. reniformis |
Solo, Washington |
Passion Fruit |
M. incognita |
Yellow, Kaveri |
Vegetable crops |
||
Tomato |
Meloidogyne spp. |
Nematox, SL-120, NTR-1, SL-12, Patriot, VFN-8, VFN Bush, Piersol, Radiant, Nemared, Ronita, Anahu, Bresch, Helani, Campbell-25, Punuui, Arka Vardan, Pelican, Hawaii-7746, Hawaii-7747, Hisar Lalit, Punjab NR-7 |
R. reniformis |
Healani, VFN Bush, Radiant, SL-120, Patriot, Kalyanpur selection I, Kalyanpur selection III, Petropride, Peto 95, Peto 108, Nema 1400, ACE 55 |
|
Brinjal |
M. incognita |
Giant of Banaras, Black Beauty, Gola, SM – 67, Gachha Baigun, Syamala (MR) |
Chilli |
M. javanica |
579, CAP-63, Pusa Jwala Wonder Hot, Teja, LCA 206 |
M. incognita |
IIHR 4561, IIHR 3448, IIHR 3024, IIHR 3575 (Immune) |
|
R. reniformis |
Sweet Bell, California Wonder |
|
Capsicum |
R. reniformis |
Sweet Ball, California Wonder |
Onion |
R. reniformis |
Evergreen |
Cowpea |
M. incognita |
Barsati Mutant, Iron, Clay, Chinese Red, Groit, New Era, Missisipi Purple, Missisipi Silver, New Selection, Viktor K 798, Broweye 7, Brabham, Moneetta, Catjang, Columbia, Gujarat Cowpea 1 (GAU-1), C-152, 92-1-B, IC 9642-B, TVU 2430-P |
Heterodera cajani |
CO 6 |
|
French bean |
M. incognita |
Banat, Blue Lake Stringless, Bountiful Flat, Brown Beauty, Cambridge Countess, Gallaroy, Kenya-3, Pinto W5-114, Seafarer, Suttan’s Masterpiece |
Okra |
M. incognita |
Parbhani Kranthi (MR) |
IIHR 359, IIHR 387, 10-11-875 (Highly Resistant); IIHR 357, IIHR 361, IIHR 362, IIHR 363, IIHR 364, 11-1-50 (Moderately Resistant) |
||
Muskmelon |
M.incognita |
Scarsol |
M. javanica |
S-445 |
|
Watermelon |
M. incognita |
Shehjanpuri |
Ridgegourd |
M. incognita |
Panipati, Meerut Special |
Ash gourd |
M. incognita |
Jaipuri, Agra |
Pumpkin |
M. incognita |
Jaipuri, Dasna |
Ornamental crops |
||
China aster |
M. incognita |
Shashank-Resistant; Poornima-Mod. Resistant |
Tuberose |
M. incognita |
Shringar-Resistant; Suvasini-Tolerant |
IIHR -2, IIHR-4, Variegated, Shringar OP, Suarna rekha, GK-T-C4, Calcutta Double, Bidhan Jyothi (Tolerant) |
||
Gladiolus |
M. incognita |
Arka-Amar, Arka Aayush, Arka Kesar, Hybrid12, Kumkum, 86-32-11, 84-6-13, 84-4-9, GC (Tolerant) |
Crossandra |
M. incognita |
Arka Shreya, Mutant, Green (Resistant) |
Medicinal crops |
||
Coleus |
M. incognita |
Hy06-10 (Moderately resistant) |
Source:
- Reddy PP (2007). Bio-intensive integrated nematode management in horticultural ecosystems: Principles and practices. Scientific publishers (India), Jodhpur, 308p;
- ICAR - IIHR Annual Reports 2014-15, 15-16, 16-17
Dr. Venkata Rami Reddy P
Principal Scientist and I/c.Head
Division of Crop Protection
IIHR, Hessaraghatta Lake Post
Bangalore – 560 089.