Researchers at the Gurugram-based Institute of Pesticide Formulation Technology (IPFT ) jointly with their counterparts at the Ajmer-based National Research Centre on Seed Spices (NRCSS), a constituent laboratory of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, a new biopesticide for spice crops such as fenugreek, cumin and coriander.
The biopesticide formulation, prepared using fungus Verticillium lecanii, is very effective in controlling various insects found in seed spice crops, said IPFT director, Jitendra Kumar, said in a statement on Friday. IPFT is a research centre under the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.
The seed spices crops suffer major losses due to various insects. For controlling the insects, large amounts of synthetic chemical pesticides are used in these crops, resulting in higher levels of pesticide residues in seed spices, leading to risks for human health and environment.
This bio-pesticide, for which a patent application is already filed, may be used as a safer alternative to chemical pesticides to minimise pesticide residue problem, the statement said.