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Sci Tech
Insect migration to cultivated crops
THE REPERCUSSIONS of deforestation has earlier been variously attributed to various factors such as irregularities of monsoon rainfall and denudation of top soil. Depletion of ground water level by meteorologist, soil conservationist and environmentalist, respectively are also the reasons.
Apart from the above repercussions, an increased trend of forest insect-pest migration to the nearby cultivated crops has been reported since last decade in Orissa, which is also thought to be due to deforestation.
In late 1980's and early 1990's, surti caterpillar Nisag a simplex migrating in large numbers to paddy crops was reported in 15 blocks of Kalahandi and Koraput districts of Orissa.
This insect was primarily a pest of forest plantations which has now become a pest of rice, completely defoliating the crop. It has a long larval period of 77 days.
And it also causes largescale devastation of paddy crop during its vegetative stage.
Recently, another new unidentified beetle pest was seen migrating from forest plantations to nearby arhar fields in the central Dhenkanal districts of Orissa.
The pest's presence was felt because of large-scale deforestation in the adjacent jungle. The beetle pest has strong mandibles capable of cutting wood.
P. Misra
College of Agriculture
Bhubaneswar 751 003
Orissa
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