Dissemination and Impact of a bio-intensive pest management package for Sali rice in Tinsukia District of Assam

Abstract

The excessive and indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides in rice cultivation has resulted in pest resurgence, resistance development and serious environmental and health concerns. Bio-intensive pest management (BIPM), which integrates biological, cultural and ecological approaches, offers a sustainable alternative for effective pest and disease management in rice ecosystems. The present study evaluates the dissemination and field-level impact of a bio-intensive pest management package for Sali rice in Tinsukia district of Assam through Front Line Demonstrations (FLDs) conducted during 2019-20 and 2020-21. The demonstrations were conducted at six locations across four development blocks covering a total area of 2 ha. The BIPM package comprised seed treatment with Pseudomonas fluorescens, application of Beauveria bassiana, release of Trichogramma japonicum, installation of pheromone traps and bird perches, need-based application of botanicals and spray of Pseudomonas fluorescens against diseases. The performance of the BIPM package was compared with farmers’ conventional practices. Data on pest infestation, disease incidence, grain yield and economic returns were recorded and analysed. The results revealed a substantial reduction in pest infestation (15.5 and 13.5%) under BIPM compared to farmers’ practices (40.0 and 34.5%) during 2019-20 and 2020-21, respectively. Similarly, disease incidence was significantly lower in the BIPM plots (13.0 and 15.0%) than in farmers’ fields (35.6 and 39.0%). Adoption of the BIPM package resulted in higher grain yield (40.0 and 39.5 q ha?¹) compared to farmers’ practice (34.6 and 35.0 q ha?¹). The technology also recorded higher net returns and favourable benefit-cost ratios in both the years of study. The study clearly demonstrates that the bio-intensive pest management package is an economically viable and environmentally safe approach for managing major insect pests and diseases of Sali rice in Tinsukia district and holds strong potential for wider dissemination among rice-growing farmers of Assam.