ASSOCHAM to host an Interaction on Invasive Pest Management
18 November 2020, New Delhi, IN: Invasive insect pests are one of the major and most rapidly growing threats to agricultural biodiversity, forestry, human and animal health resulting in huge economic losses.
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India has faced at least 10 major invasive pest and weed attacks in the past 15 years of which Fall Armyworm has become a threat to maize crop in India followed by sever locust attack in parts of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab and other states.
Keeping in view the above situation, ASSOCHAM is hosting an “Interaction on Invasive Pest Management: Challenges and Way forward” on 23 November 2020 at 3:00 PM.
Invasive pests and weeds can enter a country by flying over the border or by simply growing gratuitously. In such cases, checking their entry is difficult. But when they land up at airports and dockyards in cargos of imported grain or with items carried by tourists, the authorities should be able to weed them out. For this reason, countries have animal, plant and health quarantine facilities at all transborder entry points.
The globalization has increased international agricultural trade, and movement of seeds and planting materials has enhanced the risk of introduction of invasive insect pests into India. These insect pests can multiply in large proportion and cause damage. These species, if not accompanied by the natural enemies which keep them in check in their native range, can multiply in large proportion and cause damage to economically important plant species and crop plants in our country.
The event brings in the speakers from across the agriculture segment involving the Agriculture Ministry, Department of Agriculture, leading players in agriculture industry, associations who have been working in this area and have been helping farmers, government and other affected to tackle the situation.