ICAR – CICR Nagpur bags four patents for the management of sucking pests in cotton

ICAR-CICR has initiated the process for the expression of interest for licensing these four patented technologies for commercial use through the Institute Technology Management Unit (ITMU) and Agrinnovate of ICAR.

The scientists of the ICAR- Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur, have developed four novel Bacterial-based volatile attractant formulations for the management of sucking pests (Whiteflies, Aphids, and Thrips) and attraction of beneficial insects in cotton. Three-year large-scale field studies and multi-location evaluation in 15 AICRP (Cotton) centers proved that the attractants developed can effectively manage cotton-sucking pests through their attraction to YST. The attractant formulations CICR-BVW, CICR-BVA, CICR-BVT, and CICR-BVBI recorded attraction efficiencies of 168%, 189%, 175%, and 268% over control (only YST) for whiteflies, aphids, thrips, and beneficial insects, respectively. The attractants are eco-friendly and cost-effective, do not cause any harmful effects on cotton plants, soil nutrient status, and soil biology, and can reduce chemical usage and pest resurgence in cotton; thus, they have wider commercial application prospects in agriculture.

ICAR-CICR has initiated the process for the expression of interest for licensing these four patented technologies (Indian Patent Nos. 541777, 546146, 553413, and 554409) for commercial use through the Institute Technology Management Unit (ITMU) and Agrinnovate of ICAR.

Sucking pests (whiteflies, jassids, aphids, and thrips) cause significant yield and quality losses in cotton. Farmers largely depend on conventional groups of insecticides to manage sucking pests, which upon continuous use resulted in pest resistance to insecticides, the resurgence of minor pests, the decline of natural enemies, and environmental pollution, apart from increased production costs. Although yellow sticky traps (YSTs) are popular mechanical control options for sucking pests, further enhancement of the attraction of sucking pests to YSTs is useful. In this context, farmers are looking for alternative eco-friendly and cost-effective sucking pest management options.