Researchers Develop New Biopesticide for Spice Crops

Scientists at the Institute of Pesticide Formulation Technology (IPFT), Gurugram together with their counterparts at the Ajmer-based National Research Centre on Seed Spices (NRCSS), which is a constituent laboratory of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) have developed a new biopesticide for spice crops such as cumin, fenugreek & coriander.

The IPFT director, Jitendra Kumar in a statement said that the biopesticide formulation, made using fungus Verticillium lecanii, is very effective in controlling different insects found in seed spice crops. The Institute of Pesticide Formulation Technology is a research centre under the Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals in the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers.

It is important to mention that the seed spices crops face major losses because of various insects. In order to control the insects, large amounts of synthetic chemical pesticides are used in the crops, which results in higher levels of pesticide residues in the seed spices, causing risks for human health & environment.

The statement added that this bio-pesticide, for which a patent application is already filed could be used as a safer substitute to chemical pesticides to minimise the problem of pesticide residues.