Management Strategies for Termite Infestation in Indian Agroforestry System: A Review with a Focus on Microtermes and Odontotermes | Chapter 10 |Research Perspective on Biological Science Vol. 8

 

Termites are considered destructive and generalised feeders of plants, and they are reported to inflict major economic injuries on various crop species all over the world. There are about 3,105 species of termites known; close to 185 are globally recognised as serious pests. Especially members of the family Termitidae are known to cause major injuries to agricultural and horticultural crops. India is rich in termite diversity; it harbours 286 species belonging to 52 genera under six families, representing almost 10% of the world’s termite fauna. In India, Odontotermes obesus and Microtermes obesi species are major pests that attack agricultural and plantation crops during either vegetative or reproductive growth stages. This study explores termite ecology and management in forestry and agroforestry systems. It also highlights knowledge gaps that are important for sustainable forest management and integrated agricultural practices. Termite attacks on live trees are basically divided into two types, with one being attacks by monophagous colonies restricted to specific host plants and localised areas, and the other being attacks by polyphagous species, which are capable of foraging in different landscapes and feeding on an array of hosts. The study also examines termite infestation behaviour in standing trees, deadwood, field crops, and horticultural systems. For the past six decades, farmers have applied chemical insecticides for termite control. There exist several traditional and indigenous methods for termite control; these methods often possess local application only, and when results are generalised, they do not yield consistent results. No single method can be termed as permanently fulfilling this role. There, perhaps, lies the root of the much-needed integrated pest management (IPM), considering coupling such cultural, mechanical, biological, and botanical methods with chemical ones for better results. Though chemical control is the most commonly used method by farmers, it is often neither sustainable nor economic. Biological control would appear to hold much promise as part of management programs. Entomopathogenic organisms, while highly potential for control of termite populations, have been hardly used, especially in the field, because of a lack of focused research and application. Further research and field studies need to be done to bring this into its true potential. On the horizon, we envisage that a combined and strategic implementation of the various control practices will help pave the way to more sustainable, environmentally friendly methods for controlling termite infestations in commercially important crops.

 

 

Author(s) Details

Nishant Ghode
Department of Forestry and Wildlife, School of Studies in Forestry & Wildlife, Shaheed Mahendra Karma Vishwavidyalaya, Jagdalpur, District - Bastar, Chhattisgarh, India.

 

Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/rpbs/v8/6444