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Department
of Entomologgy |
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| About
Department |
University
Department of Entomology was established on 20th October
1969 with the establishment of Agriculture University
in Vidarbha named as Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi
Vidyapeeth, Akola. Before establishment of this University,
the need for agricultural education in the region
was catered by the two Govt Agril colleges at Akola
and Nagpur and two private colleges at Amravati and
Warora. |
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| Academic
Programmes |
This
department is imparting M. Sc. and Ph. D. education
by regular course work. Every year 16 students
at Department of Entomology, Akola are regularly
admitted for undergoing M. Sc. degree program.
However, regular Ph.D. degree program is run
only at Central Campus, Department of Entomology,
Akola by admitting two regular students every
year and one in-service candidate biennially.
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| Infrastructure
Facilities |
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Insect
Biotechnology and Toxicology laboratory |
Insect
Biotechnology and Toxicology laboratory is the pride
of the department having advance equipment and collaboration
with other prestigious National and International
Institutes like BARC, Mumbai, ICGEB, New Delhi etc.
It has been strengthened through the schemes from
ICAR, New Delhi and BRNS, Mumbai. |
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This
laboratory has attracted major funding from DBT, ICAR,
BRNS and even from private sector like Monsanto, Denocil
and EI Dupont USA. This laboratory has perfected and
standardized many protocols pertaining to insect biotechnology
and molecular biology. This laboratory has pride of
registering International and national patent for
“Safe Biopesticide Formulation based on Photorhabdus
luminescence” which has been commercialized
also. |
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| Insect
Morphology and Biosystematics laboratory |
Insect
Morphology and Biosystematics laboratory is being
strengthened with the funds from ICAR to the tune
of Rs. 45 lakhs under Network Project on biosystematics.
This laboratory has collection of more than 11000
insect specimens in which collection and exploration
of Agriculturally Important Insects are carried out
particularly on Coleoptera and Orthoptera orders. |
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| The
Insect Biocontrol Laboratory |
The
Insect Biocontrol Laboratory which was established
in the year 1976 has assumed the status of quality
control laboratory and have been further strengthened
with the funds from the Government of India to tune
of Rs. 20 lakhs. It is a self-reliant laboratory,
which is catering to the needs of the cultivator and
research and extension institutes vis-à-vis
the commercial Biocontrol units in the region. It
is located independently on National Highway No. 6. |
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| Till
date, this laboratory has generated the receipt of Rs.
33,05,638 and added to the Revolving fund. |
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| Insect
Physiology laboratory |
| Insect
Physiology laboratory is adequately equipped to cater
to the educational needs of PG students. |
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Sericulture
laboratory |
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The
department is having well-equipped Sericulture laboratory
with all the facilities from rearing of silkworm to
th e reeling of silk. |
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PG
Laboratory |
| PG
Laboratory is also one of the assets in the Department
which provides space and facilities for the PG students’
Research work, conduction of practicals and also a
reading room for all the students. |
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| Experimental
Field |
The department is having its own research farm of
3.50 ha. for conducting various experiments of the
M.Sc. and Ph.D. students of the department and also
catering to the needs of the corporate sector by way
of testing of their new molecules under the Agency
Trials which also generate revenue for the department.
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| Mandate
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| The Department of Entomology
was established with the mandate of imparting Education,
conducting Research and Extension work in the discipline
of Entomology. |
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| Students
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This department
is imparting M. Sc. and Ph. D. education by regular
course work. Every year 16 students at Department
of Entomology, Akola are regularly admitted for undergoing
M. Sc. degree program. However, regular Ph.D. degree
program is run only at Central Campus, Department
of Entomology, Akola by admitting two regular students
every year and one in-service candidate biennially. |
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| Co-Curricular
Activities |
The faculty
of the department associates with various co-curricular
activities pertaining to admissions, examinations,
University sports, Social gathering, University convocation,
student’s educational tours etc. |
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| Research
Activities |
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department has its technical control on the research
activities of the university as a whole. The research
of the basic nature as well as the contemporary applied
research is undertaken by the department through the
research work of the PG students as said earlier.
Besides this, the research stations are entrusted
with the scientific problems of their zones. As the
university area is endowed with 3 separate Agro climatic
zones, the diversification of crops in these 3 zones
consisting of semi arid tropic, well assured and heavy
rainfall zone provides an opportunity to have the
diversified research activities on the various insect
pests and beneficial fauna of the region. |
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Crop
Entomologists |
We have the crop scientists in almost all the crops.
We have the entomologists designated such as paddy,
sorghum, cotton, soybean, pulses, oilseed, sugarcane,
citrus, vegetable, seed, PHT entomologist at various
crop research units who are doing their jobs excellently
and have contributed towards the various recommendation
and package of practices to save the losses from the
insects. Likewise the Department has given the recommendations
for the economically beneficial insects such as silkworms
and the parasitoids. The research on botanical, biopesticides
and Biocontrol agents in view of the organic cultivation
is a regular feature of the Department. First recommendation
in this direction in the state is from this department
in the form of neem oil for the control of citrus
black fly. Indigenous technologies such as Warkari
duster, shetkari duster, Jowar shoot fly trap and
the equipment for stem smearing technique (Patent
in process) have been developed by the department
from time to time as per the needs of the farmers.
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| Surveillance
Unit |
The Department has a separate Pest Surveillance Unit
which is one of the centers for surveillance at the
national level. It makes the regular surveillance
of the crop pests and the defenders. It is well equipped
with the requisite manpower such as one Chief Plant
Protection Officer and two Senior Research Assistant
and provided with a vehicle to have swift mobility.
This unit is also provided with supporting staff i.e.
one section Assistant and one driver. The unit takes
immediate note of the outbreak, if any, and acts upon
immediately to inform the farming society for the
remedial measures to be adopted. It also releases
the regular information bulletins to enlighten the
cultivators from time to time. |
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| Research
Achievements |
| Awards |
The Department has received
many awards for its contribution to the field of
entomology.
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First award for best paper presentation in III AZRA
Conference, Cuttack, 1996.
* Dr. Anand Prakash Award 2000 for outstanding research
contribution to Citrus Entomology.
* Prof. Kameshwar Rao Award 2001 for best paper presentation
at Cuttack (AZRA).
* First Award for poster presentation at National
Symposium held at Chindwara during Feb’2003.
* Recived twice Award of appreciation in the form
of gold medal given by Zorastrian College, Affiliated
to Open International University for complimentary
medicine and medicina Alternative International for
work on Sericulture during 2004-05 and 2005-06.
* Second Award for poster presentation on IPM at National
workshop, Mysore, 2002
* Award for outstanding work of IPM through FFS at
Gorwah, 2002
* Appreciation of work as Co-ordinator of ToF on IPM
by Commissioner of Agriculture, Maharashtra during
2003,2004 and 2005
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| Adhoc
projects |
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Title
of the Project |
Outlay |
| 1 |
“Awareness
cum surveillance project on major pests of soybean-cotton
cropping system in Maharashtra” |
Rs. 13.60 lacs |
| 2 |
“Network
Project on Insect Biosystematics funded by ICAR, New
Delhi” |
Rs. 44.39 lacs |
| 3 |
“Analysis
of mechanism of resistance in American bollworm and
diamond back moth to Indoxacarb” funded by Stine
Haskell Research, Dupont, USA |
Rs. 22 lacs
(Project completed)
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| 4 |
“ToF
on Cotton IPM at Dr. PDKV, Akola” funded by
Department of Agriculture Maharashtra State |
Rs. 30 lacs
(Project completed)
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| 5 |
“Identification
of Bt toxins specific to major lepidopteran pests
of India” funded by ICAR, New Delhi |
Rs. 14.5 lacs (Project completed) |
| 6 |
“Development
of resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis and binding
studies to Brush Border Membrane Vesicles of major
lepidopteran insect pests of India funded by BARC,
Mumbai |
Rs. 16.5 lacs
(Project completed) |
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| Extension
Activities and Achievements
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The
Department is not restricted only with the teaching
and research program as discussed earlier, but shares
its responsibility towards extension education of
the various technologies developed by the Department.
The farmers training activities in coordination with
the Department of Agriculture, particularly on IPM
have been the regular feature of the Department and
has been instrumental in bringing a small remote village
of Vidarbha viz. Gorwha on the World map. Through
this programme, 180 facilitators, have been trained
and subsequently they have conducted about 2600 farmers
field schools and trained 65000 farmers. Besides that
the participation in the monthly T & V workshops.
Monthly messages and diagnostic visits are the regular
features of the department being carried out through
the Master Trainers for all the eleven districts of
Vidarbha which are entrusted to the entomologists
from the department as well as from the various research
centres.
The scientist from the department
are also contributing in the activities of the Agricultural
Technology Information Center which caters to the
needs of the farmer of this region write from technological
quests to the receipt of quality inputs like seed,
bio-fertilizers, Bio-pesticides etc. The various
Agriculture exhibitions organized at State and District
level are being regularly participated by this department.
Number of prizes have also been bagged for the exhibition
stalls of the Entomology Department so far. Participations
in various seminars, shivar pheri, symposium is
the regular feature of the department and the teachers,
crop entomologists are regularly involved in these
activities.
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| Trainings Organized |
1. National
level training on IPM in Cotton was organized by this
Department with the financial assistance of ICAR,
New Delhi recently.
2. Four self employment training programmes for three
months duration each, were organized in this department
on sericulture. Trainees have started their own sericulture
enterprises.
3. Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola,
FAO and Department of Agriculture, Maharashtra jointly
organized season long training for facilitators (ToF)
on Cotton Integrated Pest Management regularly since
2001 at Dr. PDKV, Akola Campus.
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| Technology
Transfer |
The Departent
has developed two hundred and thirty one technologies
regarding crop protection that are being regularly
disseminated for the benefit of cultivators including
alarming situations through various media like special
bulletins, newspapers and frequent programmes through
All India Radio, Doordarshan, Other TV channel programmes,
etc. These are the regular recurring activities of
this department.
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| Publications
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This department has brought out the following
publications:
1. Pests of important
crops and their management (a book in marathi
published in 2001).
2. Identification and management of cotton pests
(a small book in marathi published in 2002).
3. Reshim Udyogachi mulbhut tatwe ani vyavasaikta
(a book in marathi published during 2005)
4. Biological Pest Suppression (a book in english
published during 2005).
5. Reshim Udyog (a book in marathi).
6. Integrated Pest Management in Vegetable crops
(Marathi Bulletin).
7. Integrated Pest Management in Agriculture
(Book in English).
8. Technical Bulletin on TAR- IVLP, Achievement.
In Addition, twelve folders on different topics
are also published. Besides, Pest situation
based special bulletins for farmers which are
disseminated through Newspaper and All India
Radio. |
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| Contact
Information |
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The Head,
Department of Entomology,
Dr. PDKV, Akola
Phone (0724) 2258050 |
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