TRAINING COURSE ON MANAGEMENT OF CARROT WEED HELD AT PAU

LUDHIANA, AUGUST 14:



A one-day training programme on the "Management of Carrot Weed through Biocontrol Agent in Punjab" was organized at the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU). The programme was jointly coordinated by the Biocontrol Section of the PAU Department of Entomology, and the Punjab State Council of Science and Technology (PSCST), Chandigarh. The entomologists from Farm Advisory Service Scheme (FASS) of Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar and Patiala participated in the programme, conducted under the guidance of Dr Balwinder Singh, Professor and Head, Entomology Department, PAU.



Dr Deepinder K. Bakshi, Principal Scientific Officer (Biotechnology), PSCST, gave a brief introduction of the project on the "Management of Carrot Weed inPunjab."



Dr Sushil Kumar, Principal Scientist, National Centre for Weed Research,Jabalpur, spoke on the status of carrot weed "Parthenium hysterophorus (Linnaeus)" in India and its management through the use of a bioagent, a Mexican beetle, Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister.



Dr Naveen Aggarwal and Dr Rabinder Kaur, scientists of Biocontrol Section, highlighted the disadvantages of carrot weed, biocontrol methods to control this weed, uses of bioagent, methods of its releases, etc. They also demonstrated the use of the beetle, its rearing in the laboratory, and releases in the field for the management of the carrot weed. The experts emphasized the need for community awareness for the augmentation and conservation of this beetle in the nature for the management of carrot weed. They also impressed upon the scientists of FASS centres to create awareness amongst the farmers about this beetle.



In this context, the scientists of PAU Department of Entomology also organized an awareness programme at village Nanoki (Patiala) wherein more than 250 farmers and school students of this village and surrounding villages participated. On this occasion, one small exhibition was also put up in which the different stages of biocontrol agent, Zygogramma and its management were demonstrated. Farmers appreciated the efforts of the PAU scientists. The live samples of Zygogramma beetle were also distributed amongst the farmers and school children.
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