Crop Protection

Major Achievements

Over the last three decades the Division has established the etiology and epidemiology of major diseases of spices, surveyed the spice growing areas of the country and catalogued the major pests and pathogens and developed integrated pest/disease management measures to control them. In pursuit of clean spices without any pesticide residues, the Division is actively engaged in developing pest/disease resistant lines and biocontrol agents that suppress the pathogens. Notable among the resistant lines developed are IISR Shakti (Phytophthora resistant black pepper line), Pournami (root knot nematode resistant black pepper line), IISR Vijetha (‘Katte’ resistant cardamom selection), IISR Avinash (rhizome rot resistant cardamom line), IISR Mahima (root knot nematode resistant ginger selection) and IISR Pragati (root knot nematode tolerant turmeric selection). The efficient strains of biocontrol agents developed by the Division like Trichoderma harzianum, Pseudomonas spp., Pochonia chlamydosporia, Lecanicilliumpsalliote etc. are quite popular among the farming community and are successfully commercialized. Highly reliable and sensitive diagnostic tools have been standardized for rapid detection of viruses, bacteria, fungi and nematodes infecting spices.

Research Programs

The major problems handled by the scientists of the Division are Phytophthora foot rot, slow decline, anthracnose, viral diseases of black pepper, rhizome rot and viral diseases of cardamom, soft rot and bacterial wilt of ginger, foliar diseases of turmeric and diseases of vanilla. Besides, insect and nematode problems of these spices are also addressed. Some of the ongoing research programs are:

• Surveillance, documentation for pests, diseases, entomopathogens and microbial antagonists
• Investigations on endophytic and rhizospheric microflora for management of spice diseases
• Ecology and epidemiology of fungal foliar diseases in ginger and turmeric
• Screening of spice germplasm against major pests and diseases
• Mass production and field evaluation of promising biocontrol agents
• Integrated management of major diseases of spices

Major Facilities

• The National Repository of Phytophthora
• Repository of Biocontrol Agents
• Accredited virus indexing facility
• Molecular plant pathology lab
• Insect biocontrol laboratory
• Nematology laboratory