The Integrated pest management is an integrated and planned execution of different pest management strategies and the tactics with the role objective of reducing losses from the pests with minimum ecological implication. Using of high quality certified seeds from disease are one of the primary mean of disease control. Pest resistant varieties of plants are also the core of Integrated Pest Management activity targeted to curtail crop loss.
Several techniques like Gane development varietal mosaic multiline techniques to increase life span of plant and plant based pesticides like neem derivatives etc. are being included in the integrated pest management strategies.
For this 26 Central Integrated Pest Management Centers have been established in more than 20 states and one Union Territory. Their functions include
(i) Integrated Pest Management to farmers and workers.
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(ii) Promotion of biocontrol methods by conservation and augmentation of natural enemies of pest.
(iii) Integrated Pest Management demonstration in farmer’s fields.
(iv) Pest surveillance and monitoring for need based judicious application of selective pesticides.
(v) Promotion of non-chemical methods of pest control.
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Apart from these initiatives the department of Biotechnology has launched network project for biological control of pest at seven places including Bangalore, Coimbatore, Pantanagar and Hissar. The projects aims at semi-commercial and commercial enterprises for the large scale application in farms for the control of the key pests related to rice, cotton, vegetables which are most vulnerable to pest attacks. The department of biotechnology has established pilot plan units at Madurai and Coimbatore to promote commercialization of Bio-pesticides.