Biocontrol laboratory under Dept of Entomology has coordinated five year RKVY project (2013-18) on developing alternatives from banned pesticides in coconut and has developed recommendations including biopesticides and new generation chemicals for the major pests and diseases of coconut
As the outcome KSCSTE project(2013-16) on Management of sucking pest complex using entomopathogenic fungi, two potent biocontrol agents have been isolated, characterised and deposited in the Indian Type culture Collection (ITTCC) and NCBI . The isolate Lsvs1 7714 Lecanicillium saksenae is highly effective to ricebugs and nematodes , while Beauveria bassiana 60603 is effective to rice leaf rollers, which is expected to be registered under CIBRC
It has developed Package of Practice recommendations on pest management in Cabbage and cauliflower based on three year experiments conducted in Vattavada, Kanthalloor, Cheruthoni, Balaramapuram and Kalliyoor as a part Of GOK State Planning Board Project implemented during 2015-18.
The laboratory produces quality biopesticides based on Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisolpliae and Lecanicillium lecanii and pheromone traps for fruitflies which are made available to farmers.
Trainings and seminars are also conducted for popularizing biopesticides among farmers.
