Major Pest and Disease Trends in Indian Agriculture: 2015-16 to 2023-24
16 October 2024, New Delhi: Over the past eight years, the Indian agricultural sector has grappled with significant challenges posed by various pests and diseases. These threats have impacted major crops such as cotton, rice, wheat, sugarcane, maize, and horticultural products. The data gathered by the Directorate of Plant Protection, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India illustrates the evolving landscape of pest and disease pressures across the country.
Cotton: Persistent Pest Challenges
Starting with cotton, in 2015-16, farmers faced rampant infestations of white flies in regions like Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. At the same time, the pink bollworm was less prevalent but still raised concerns in Maharashtra. As the years progressed, the cotton industry experienced a continuing struggle with white fly populations, particularly in Punjab during 2016-17. By 2017-18, pink bollworm outbreaks surged in Maharashtra and Telangana, leading to substantial yield losses.
In 2018-19, the issues of white fly and increasing thrips reports began to emerge as significant concerns. The pink bollworm remained dominant in 2019-20, causing serious damage to crops, while white fly populations increased in 2020-21. Farmers reported severe damage from pink bollworm in 2021-22, prompting calls for improved pest management strategies. By 2022-23, white fly infestations persisted, and in 2023-24, new challenges arose with thrips and jassids impacting cotton production, particularly in Maharashtra.
Rice: Battling Diseases and Pests
Turning to rice, in 2015-16, the sector faced issues with blast disease and brown plant hopper affecting regions in Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal. Over the following years, blast disease continued to threaten yields, especially in 2016-17 and 2017-18, while the bacterial leaf blight emerged as a concern in Punjab. 2018-19 saw increasing reports of false smut and sheath blight, alongside a rise in yellow stem borer incidents in 2019-20.
As the trend continued, farmers experienced significant challenges from leaf folders in 2020-21. The blast disease returned in 2021-22, raising alarms among rice producers. 2022-23 was marked by higher incidences of bacterial leaf blight, particularly in Punjab and Odisha, while 2023-24 witnessed the emergence of swarming caterpillars in Maharashtra, causing considerable crop damage.
Wheat: Ongoing Struggles with Rust
Focusing on wheat, 2015-16 began with a notable prevalence of yellow rust in states like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. In 2016-17, reports of stem rust appeared in Himachal Pradesh, while 2017-18 continued to show challenges with yellow rust but maintained stable yields overall. The resurgence of stem rust in 2018-19 raised concerns, as yellow rust remained a significant issue in 2019-20.
The subsequent years reflected persistent problems with yellow rust, with 2021-22 prompting government interventions to develop resistant varieties. The continuing dominance of yellow rust in 2022-23 necessitated focused management strategies, and as of 2023-24, farmers were still grappling with the impacts of yellow rust.
Sugarcane: Red Rot and Pyrilla Challenges
For sugarcane, the critical problem of red rot dominated in 2015-16, affecting yields in Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. Reports of top shoot borer began to emerge in Bihar and Maharashtra by 2016-17. The challenge of red rot persisted in 2017-18, while 2018-19 witnessed rising concerns over sugarcane pyrilla in Uttar Pradesh.
The situation escalated, with red rot continuing to affect crops in 2019-20 and 2020-21. In 2021-22, farmers struggled with both red rot and sugarcane pyrilla, leading to considerable economic losses. By 2022-23, while management practices improved in some regions, red rot cases were still reported. The problem of sugarcane pyrilla became more pronounced in 2023-24, raising alarm among growers.
Maize: A Rising Concern
In the case of maize, the challenges began in 2015-16 with stem borer and cutworms dominating the landscape in Karnataka and Maharashtra. The year 2016-17 brought increased reports of turcicum leaf blight, while 2017-18marked the arrival of the fall armyworm, which became a significant threat to maize cultivation.
The situation worsened in 2018-19 as fall armyworm outbreaks spread widely, devastating crops. In 2019-20, the challenges with fall armyworm prompted urgent responses from agricultural authorities. The problems persisted in 2020-21 with steady populations of stem borer and ongoing fall armyworm issues. By 2021-22, farmers faced persistent challenges from the fall armyworm, leading to significant crop losses. The problem of fall armyworm remained dominant in 2022-23 and 2023-24, pushing farmers to adopt innovative management practices.
Banana: A Continuous Threat
When considering banana, Panama wilt was significant in 2015-16, impacting yields in Tamil Nadu and Bihar. The situation continued with Sigatoka leaf spot posing challenges in 2016-17 and ongoing problems with Panama wilt through to 2018-19. Reports of thrips increased during this period, and by 2019-20, the problem escalated with the rise of banana aphid.
Panama wilt remained a serious concern through 2020-21, prompting research into resistant varieties. Challenges from Panama wilt and thrips persisted through 2021-22 and 2022-23, and the problem continued to affect growers in 2023-24.
Coconut: Traditional Pests Persist
In the realm of coconut, Rhinoceros beetle and red palm weevil were primary pests affecting coconut palms in Kerala during 2015-16. Over the next few years, the challenges with traditional pests continued, and by 2018-19, the emergence of the rugose spiraling whitefly began to significantly impact coconut production.
The problems escalated in 2019-20 as the rugose spiraling whitefly caused considerable economic losses. By 2020-21, it became a critical threat in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, leading to intensified management efforts. The rugose spiraling whitefly remained a major pest in 2021-22, and the challenges continued to grow through 2022-23 and 2023-24.
Persistent and Emerging Challenges
The analysis of pest and disease incidences from 2015-16 to 2023-24 reveals a complex landscape in Indian agriculture. While some pests like white fly and yellow rust have consistently posed threats, newer challenges such as the fall armyworm and rugose spiraling whitefly have emerged, necessitating innovative management strategies.
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