Pest surveillance and plant protection advisories through ICT (Information Communication Technology) tools in important field crops

Important field crops of northern Karnataka viz., Sugarcane, Cotton, Maize, Chickpea, Sunflower and Soybean suffer from many insect pests and diseases. During 2014-15 cropping season, a software (e-SAP: electronic Solutions Against Agricultural Pests) was made use to record observations on important insect pests and diseases on these crops following roving survey in six Districts of northern Karnataka. All the information about the selected farmers was recorded through field devices (Tablets) which were preloaded with e-SAP software. Based on the observations recorded, maximum infestation of root grub, early shoot borer and wooly aphid in sugarcane; miridbug and aphid in cotton; aphid and pink stem borer in maize; gram caterpillar in chickpea; spodoptera in soybean and leaf hopper and Bihar hairy caterpillar in sunflower was noticed. Maximum incidence/severity of rust and ring spot diseases in sugarcane; grey mildew, rust and angular leaf spot in cotton; turcicum and maydis leaf blight in maize; wilt and root rot in chickpea; Alternaria leaf spot and rust in soybean and necrosis and rust in sunflower commonlyoccurred in the six crops. Some newly emerging problems viz., wire worm, root aphid, yellow leaf disease, pokka boeng in Sugarcane; midge fly in cotton; Banded leaf and sheath blight in maize recorded. Important advisories for management provided were soil drenching of chlorpyriphos 20EC @ 10ml/l. or soil application of Metarhizium anisopliae @ 12.5 to 25 kg + FYM 1250 kg / ha for sugarcane root grub; spraying of fipronil 80WG 0.1g/l of water for cotton sucking pests; seed treatment with Trichoderma harzianum @4g/kg or spot drenching with carbendazim 50WP @1g/l for chickpea wilt / root rot and use of resistant cultivar (DSB-21) or spraying of hexaconazole @1.0 ml/l35-45 days after sowing for soybean rust. Four out of ten farmers interviewed, expressed satisfaction for receiving timely advisories and realized 4-5% increase yield in sugarcane, cotton and chickpea. Thus real time surveillance through ICT tools has helped for plant protection measures at appropriate period.