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Name of the Division

Forest Protection division

Himalayan Forest Research Institute, Shimla, HP

Head of Division

Dr. Ranjeet Singh

Objectives of Division

Undertake research on insect pests and diseases of important tree species of the region and to develop protocol for their management
To study the factors causing build up of insect pest and pathogen population on selected tree species and develop viable eco-friendly management practices.
To develop integrated insect pest and disease control models.
To develop methodologies and techniques to assess the incidence of damage caused by insect pest and pathogens in natural forest, nurseries and plantations.
Develop collaborative research for evolving insect pest and pathogen resistant phenotypes of selected tree species with the active support of the state forest department.
Investigate the queries on insect pest and disease problems raised by the state forest department, NGOs and farmers and to suggest management techniques of their control.
Establishment of infrastructure for insect pathology, biological control laboratory, insectary, insectarium and other emerging frontiers of forest protection.

Ongoing Research Projects:

Title of the Project:-1

Survey, Biology and Control of Insect Pests of important medicinal plants in Himachal Pradesh

Duration:

2005-2010

Principle Investigator

Dr. Ranjeet Singh, Scientist D

Objectives

To survey the insect pest complex associated with important medicinal plants in Himachal Pradesh
To study the biology of important insect pests
To study the effect of abiotic factors on the population build up of pests
To evaluate the efficacy of various available bio-pesticides and insecticides for pest control in nursery

Progress Achieved (up to March 2006):

Regular and systematic survey were undertaken to record the incidence of various pests in the nurseries viz. Shilly, Shillaru, Brundhar and Baragaon, Hamirpur and Joginder Nagar.

Out of 13 medicinal plants selected for entomological studies moderate to heavy defoliation by insect pests has been reported on Saussurea costus, Valeriana jatamansi, Angelica glauca, Picrorrhiza kurrooa, Aconitum heterophyllum and Arctium lappa.

Total 25 insect species has been found associated with these plants. Out of them, five species such as Heliothus armigera (Hubner), Papilio demoleus Linnaeus, Plusia orichalcea Fabr., Spodoptera litura Fabr. And Agrotis spp. Were of serious concern.

Biology of Plusia orichalcea Fabr. Serious pest of Saussurea costus is being studied in the laboratory

Title of the Project-2:

Natural Enemy Complex of Key and Potential Pests of Five Quercus species of Himachal Pradesh.

Duration

2004-2008

Principle Investigator

Dr. Sumit Chakrabarti, Scientist D

Objectives

As an alternative to harmful chemical insecticides, pest-specific parasites, predators and pathogenic microbes would be first explored, collected, identified and utilized as an eco-friendly bio-control agent against the pests of five Quercus species of Himachal Pradesh.
A database on insect-pests of Oaks would be constructed for readily available information for pests and its management.

Progress Achieved (up to March 2006):

All five species of Oaks viz., Quercus glauca, Q. leucotrichophora, Q. dilatata, Q. semicarpifolia & Q. ilex were screened.

So far Darer Forest (district Sundernagar), Municipal Forest Shiog (district Shimla), Kalpa, Brelingi, SongTong (Kinnaur), Khalti, Khalti (Rampur) and Narkanda, Hattu, Karsog, gadachh, Khirki, Jabna (Chopal), Shilly (Solan), Tikkar, Charech, Bhajiana, Charavag (Sirmour) areas were surveyed and suitable spots for further collection of pests were selected. Most of the collections were made from these above mentioned spots.

Two parasites viz. Eupelmus urozonus and Megastigmus dorsalis are found to be the most useful to control seed borers namely, Sitophilus glandium and Curculio sikkimensis.

Lymantria obfuscate, the Indian Gypsy Moth is found to be the major defoliator and outbreak of the moth was observed in Sirmour district of Himachal Pradesh causing heavy defoliation to Ban Oak. Evaluation of the damage by Indian Gypsy Moth in terms of the leaf consumption is cone using leaf-area measurement.

Life-cycle of Lymantria obfuscate feeding on Quercus leuchotrichophora is completed and a repeat study is in progress in the laboratory.

Virus infected larvae were collected from the field as well as obtained from laboratory reared larvae of Indian Gypsy Moth. The larvae were homogenized, centrifuged, virus particles were purified using 1% SDS and were refrigerated. Identification was done under Transmission Electron Microscope in collaboration of CPRI, Shimla. Further exploration of nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) is in progress.

Major Achievement of the Division during the year 2005-06:

Out of seven provenance of Chir Pine evaluated for insect pest resistance, only two provenance namely Seer Kunar Khud and Beas Valley was found to be least susceptible to the attack of insect stem borers complex Spaenoptera aterrima Kerremens, Cryptohynchus rufescens Roelofs, Platypus biformis Chapuis and Polygraphus longifolia Stebbing

A complete plan for management of Phytophthora root rot of Deodar in Chail Wildlife Sanctuary sent by us was approved by state and MoEF has allotted special fund for the execution of the plan, which is being executed under direct supervision of the scientists from our institute.

Check list of different insects defoliating the selected medicinal plants is being prepared. So for 25 insect species covering insect orders like Lepidoptera, Hemiptera, Orthoptera, Coleoptera, were reported in Himachal Pradesh. Plusia orichalcea is graded as most injurious insect pest of Saussurea costus defoliating upto 30 % in the nursery.

Three Hymenopteran parasitoids viz., Torymus himachalicus, T. stom & T. absonus were discovered from cynipid pests that cause leaf galls. These are new to entomological sciences.

Queries raised by the Forest Departments:

Identified Fungus responsible for large scale mortality in Cedrus deodara in Chail forests - Phytophthora cinnamomii
Large-scale Shisham mortality investigated - Ganoderma lucidum, Fusarium spp.
Khair mortality in Nahan Forest Division – Ganoderma lucidum
Pit canker disease of Siris (Albizzia procera) in Solan Forest Division – a new record from Himachal Pradesh.
Mortality of Deodar trees in and around Shimla town.
Defoliation of Quercus leucotrichophora by Indian Gypsy Moth in Rajgarh Forest Division.

Lab and Facilities:

(list of equipments and other services like, analysis of various samples, etc.):

List of Instruments in Forest Protection Laboratory

S. No.	Name of Instrument	Purpose
1	Autoclave	Sterilization of media
2	B.O.D	Insect rearing
3	Computer	For data compiling
4	Digital pH Meter	Out of order
5	Electronic Balance	Weighing of chemicals and soil and plant analysis
6	Hot plate	For drying slides
7	Inoculation chamber	For keeping Fungal culture
8	Laminar air flow	For pathological work
9	Nikon microscope	For identification of microorganisms and insects
10	Oven	For insect drying and sterilization of glass wares
11	Refrigerator	For preservation of heat sensitive chemicals and fungal culture
12	Simple microscope	For identification of fugal of fungal and insect slides
13	Sox let	For extraction of oil from seed and plant samples
14	Stereo zoom microscope	For entomological work
15	Stereomicroscope	For entomological work
16	Water bath	To boil samples for making slides

Publications (Only titles):

i) Books (2000-2006): Nil

ii) Booklets (2000-2006): Nil

iii) Brochures (2000-2006) Nil

iv) Pamphlets (2000-2006): Nil

v) Research Papers (2005-2006):

Narendran, T.C.; P.G. Kumar; K. Sudheer; P.M. Sureshan; S. Chakrabarti (2005). Three new species of Torymus dalman (Hymenopter: Torymidae) from Himachal Pradesh (India) along with a key to species of Indian Subcontinent. Entomon 30(2): 11-21.

Singh R., Kumar A. and Pandey, V.P. (2006). Forest Productivity – Decline Due to Emergence of Entomological Problems in North-Western Himalaya. In XII Siklvicultural Conference, organized by Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun.

Singh, R. and Verma, T.D. (2006). Pestilence behaviour of Ectropis deodarae Prout (Lepidoptera : Geometridae) in north–western Himalaya. In National Congress on Entomology, Organized by Punjabi University, Patiala (Punjab) from 15-17 March, 2006.

Kumar, Ashok (2006). Pit canker disease of Siris (Albizzia procera) – a new report from Himachal Pradesh. Indian Phytopathology 59(1): 124-125