AUTHOR(S)
Samir Mohanty 1, Nirmal Chandra Biswal2, and Kartik Charan Lenka3

ABSTRACT

Cereals are globally essentialstaples, supplying over 60% of calorie intake for populations in the developingworld. Traditionally, cereal cultivation has relied on indigenous technicalknowledge, with natural and locally accepted pest control methods. However,widespread use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in modern agriculture,along with climate change, erratic weather, and shifting cropping systems, hasled to increased pest pressure and severe crop losses. This study, conducted inKoraput district, Odisha (covering the blocks of Koraput, Jeypore, Kundra, andBoipariguda) from July to December 2023, assesses insect pest incidence onthree major cereal crops—paddy, finger millet, and maize—across 16 samplingsites totaling 32 hectares. Tribal farming communities, characterized bysocio-economic vulnerability, were engaged through Participatory RuralAppraisal (PRA) methods, with 134 male and 56 female participants interviewedusing structured questionnaires. Pest types, developmental stage-specificdamage, and traditional pest control practices (including neem kernel and leafextracts, fermented cow dung and cow urine, ash, and fire) were documented.Insect species identified spanned five orders, 12 families, and 21 species.T-tests indicated reduced pest incidence following the application of naturalformulations, while two-way ANOVA revealed significant differences in cropyields across three cultivation types: no pest control, neem-basedapplications, and a combination of natural and minimal chemical formulationswithin safe limits. Findings underscore the effectiveness of optimizedtraditional pest control in sustaining cereal production under marginal farmingconditions.

 

Keywords: Cereal crops; Indigenous pest control;Sustainable agriculture; Tribal farming practices; Natural formulations;Climate resilience

DOI
https://doi.org/10.57182/jbiopestic.17.2.135-143

PAGES: 135-143 | 1 VIEWS | 1 DOWNLOADS

DOWNLOAD FULL ARTICLE