biocontrol of white grub in sugarcane crop

1. All India Network Project (AINP)
on Soil Arthropods Pests
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
by
JAGPAL SINGH, SECRETARY,
Foundation for Agricultural Resources Management and
Environmental Remediation (Farmer), Voluntary Centre,
Ghaziabad
WEBINAR
02.01.2021

2. FARMER ORGANIZATION ESTABLISHED IN 2002
SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH ORGANISATIONS (SIROs)
BY DEPARTMENT OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH (DSIR), MINISTRY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
VOLUNTARY CENTRE (VC)
OF AINP ON SOIL ARTHROPOD PESTS – INDIAN COUNCIL OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH
REGIONAL COUNCIL FOR ORGANIC CERTIFICATION
NATIONAL CENTRE OF ORGANIC FARMING, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND
FARMERS WELFARE, MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
FARMER - BIOTECH KISAN HUB, GHAZIABAD,
DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATION FOR SEED TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATION
INDIAN AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE, NEW DELHI
QUALITY TESTING, RESEARCH LABORATORY, TRAINING CENTER
IMPLEMENTING RESEARCH PROJECTS FUNDED BY DST, DBT, ICAR

3. MAJOR WORKING AREA IN WESTERN UTTAR PRADESH
Western
UP
Meerut
Division
Saharanpur
Division
Moradabad
Division

4. STATUS OF SUGARCANE CROP AND NATIONAL
PEST -WHITE GRUB IN WESTERN UP
Area under sugarcane cultivation –
 5 MH. in India
 2.1 MH. In Uttar Pradesh
 1.0 MH. in western Uttar Pradesh (50-75%)
 Extent of damage due to white grub is >20-30 %
& sugar recovery reduced > 1 %
 Chemical control of white grub is not sustainable
 Crop losses due to white grubs in terms of rupees are in
thousand crores.
 Major affected crops are sugarcane, potato, jowar, maize,
bajra and other Kharif crops
WHITE GRUB INFECTED SUGARCANE CROP

5. EPN & SOIL PEST INTERACTION
MODE OF ACTION ON TARGET
 Infective juvenile (IJ) gain entry
 Reach haemocoel in 5-6 hrs
 Release bacteria
 Cause septicemia
 Insect dies in 24-48 h
 Bacteria and nematode multiply
 Fresh IJ leave cadaver in lakhs in
search of a new host
 Life cycle: 5-10 days
 Wide host range Infect: 200 species of insects belong
to 24 orders & 155 families
 90% of insects have life-stages in soil
 Presence in cultivated fields, forests, grasslands,
deserts, beaches.
 Fast acting, kill target insect pests in 24-48 hours.
Easy to apply, compatible with most agricultural
chemicals
 Ability to search for pests –
Ambushers and Cruisers
 Potential to reproduce after application
 Safe to most non-target organisms and the
environment

6. EXPEDITION OF FARMER ORGANIZATION IN WHITE
GRUB MANAGEMENT SINCE 2008
FARMER organization is engaged in the management of white grub since 2008 when
infestation of white grub had become a very serious problem.
First the laboratory and initial trials for white grub control through application of EPN
were conducted in 2008 - 2010 in collaboration of Division of Nematology, IARI, New
Delhi & 100% mortality in laboratory conditions and 70% mortality in field conditions
were recorded. (Research paper published in current Science)
Simultaneously, FARMER Organized a National Seminar on the management of white
grub on 27.09.2009 at Ghaziabad which was attended by scientists from IARI, SVPUA&T,
AINP Durgapura, Palampur University, GBPUA&T, IISR, DPPQ&S, Functionaries of State
Department of Agriculture / Cane, UP, Sugar Mills functionaries of 45 sugar mills.
Package of practices for white grub control were finalized in this seminar.

7. Subsequently, a project supported by DST was implemented by FARMER in
collaboration with IARI in 2012-15 with following objectives:-
1) Conducted multi location field trials and validated efficacy of EPN against white grub
on sugarcane.
2) Developed technology manual for In vivo mass production of EPN (Heterorhabditis
indica).
3) Recorded prevalence of 20 species of white grub in western UP.
4) Organized training and awareness programmes for farmers and sugar mills
functionaries on management strategies of white grub.
Swati, Riazuddin, Singh Sumit Pratap, Bhawna, Singh Jagpal, Gaurav S.S. (2014) Isolation
and Molecular Identification of Entomopathogenic Nematode from Amroha and
Muzaffarnagar districts of Uttar Pradesh, India. Annals of Horticulture. 7(2): 203-205.
Riazuddin, Rinni Sahrawat, Manish Kumar Sharma, Jagpal Singh and Mayank Kumar Rai.
(2018) Surveying on Prevailing Species of White Grubs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in the
Different Districts of Western Uttar Pradesh, India. Trends in Biosciences. 11(11): 2137-
2142.

8. Riazuddin, Rinni Saharwat, Swati, Seema Rani, Jagpal Singh (2020) Efficacy of
entomopathogenic nematodes against Galleria mellonella L. Indian Journal of
Entomology. 82(3): 476-478.

9. EFFICACY OF HETERORHABDITIS INDICA AGAINST HOLOTRICHIA SERRATA
LIFE STAGES OF H. SERRATA REARED IN FARMER VC GHAZIABAD
EMERGENCE OF IJS FROM GALLERIA CADAVER (GC)
ADULT
EGGS
2ND NSTAR
GRUB
3RD INSTAR
GRUB
1ST INSTAR
GRUB
PUPA

10. SWATI, JAGPAL SINGH, RIAZUDDIN, RINNI SAHRWAT, SEEMA RANI (2020) IN VIVO
EVALUATION OF INDIGENOUS STRAIN OF HETERORHABDITIS INDICA AGAINST
HOLOTRICHIA SERRATA F. INDIAN JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY. 82(4): 858-860.

11. MODEL OF AUTOMATION PROCESS FOR IN VIVO MULTIPLICATION OF EPN
5th Instar Galleria
larvae infected by EPN
Harvester for EPN
Harvesting
Separator for EPN
Separation
Conditioner for
Conditioning of GC
For EPN Multiplication
EPN infected Galleria
Cadaver (GC)
Rearing of 5th Instar
Galleria larvae

12. APPLICATION METHODS OF EPN
The EPN has been applied in field conditions by different methods-
 Application in the form of EPN infected Galleria cadaver in sub soil by dibbling.
 Application in the form of liquid suspension of EPN near plant and root zone
 Application along with irrigation water through applicator.
 Application of W.P. formulation of EPN near plant and root zone by mixing WP with dry
Sand, Soil or FYM/Compost.
EPN Application
Dibbling Method
EPN Application
through Applicator
EPN Application
at root zone
WP Formulation
Application
at root zone

13. COVERED AREA UNDER EPN
EPN Name FLDs
(In Nos.)
Area
Covered
(In Acre)
Villages
Covered
(In Nos.)
Districts
Covered
(In Nos.)
Heterorhabditis indica 76 61.5 31 6
Pest mortality recorded up to 70% & Population Reduction up to more than 80 %

14. FIELD TRIAL DURING IN 2020

15. EPN INFECTED WHITE GRUBS COLLECTED FROM
SUGARCANE FIELDS

16. ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGI (EPF)
Beauveria bassiana Metarhizium anisopliae
Grows naturally in soils and acts as parasite on various species of insect pests
cause
White muscardine disease Green muscardine disease
These are being used as a biological insecticides to control a number of pests
such as; white grub, termites, thrips, whiteflies, aphids and different beetles

17. INNOVATIVE INITIATIVES
1. Vessel , 2. Air Filter, 3. Air Inlet, 4. Aqua Pump,
5. Inoculation Inlet, 6. Air Outlet, 7. UPS.
Low Cost Fermenter
3
4
1
2
5
6
7

19. Rinni Saharwat, Riazuddin, Seema Rani, Jagpal Singh (2020) Pathogenicity of
entomopathogenic fungi Metarhizium anisopliae to white grubs Holotrichia serrata.
Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies. Submitted and accepted.

20. APPLICATION OF EPF
Application of EPF in the field at the time of sowing
EPF mix in FYM Multiplication of EPF Occur

21. Sr. No. EPF Name FLDs
(In Nos.)
Area
Covered
(In Acre)
Villages
Covered
(In Nos.)
Districts
Covered
(In Nos.)
1. Beauveria bassiana 26 20.5
21 5
2. Metarhizium anisopliae 26 20
3. B. Bassiana + M. anisopliae 17 13
4. Total 69 53.5 21 5
AREA COVERED UNDER EPF FLDS
Pest Population Reduction up to 20 to 60 %, best result in combination

22. MANAGEMENT OF WHITE GRUBS THROUGH
BIOAGENTS (EPN+EPF)
A set of 8 treatments in 8000 sq m sugarcane crop
field in Jallopur village at Amroha district is going on
during 2020-2021.
The results of pre and post treatment grub population
was recorded and presented in table below.
The final results of experiments will be analyzed after
harvesting and obtaining yield data.

23. MANAGEMENT OF WHITE GRUBS THROUGH BIO-CONTROL AGENTS
DURING 2020-2021
Bioagents Dose White grub
population/cl
ump (BT)
White grub
population/cl
ump
15 DAT)
% reduction
in pest
population
(15 DAT
White grub
population/cl
ump
(30 DAT)
% reduction
in pest
population
(30 DAT)
Yield/ha (q)
Heterorhabditi
s indica (WP)
0.5 g/m2 5.50 2.00 69.23 1.25 72.22
H. indica
infected
Galleria
Cadavers
(GC)
1 GC/m2 4.25 2.00 69.23 1.75 61.11
Metarhizium
anisopliae
0.5 g/m2 5.75 2.50 61.54 2.25 50.00
Beauveria
bassiana
0.5 g/m2 6.75 3.75 42.31 4.00 11.11
Metarhizium
anisopliae +
Beauveria
bassiana
0.5 g/m2 4.00 2.75 57.69 2.75 38.89
H. indica
(WP) + M.
anisopliae
0.5g /m2 8.50 1.50 76.92 0.75 83.33
H. indica
(WP) + B.
bassiana
0.5g /m2 4.50 3.25 50.00 2.75 38.89
Control 6.25 6.50 0.00 4.50 0.00

24. • H. indica (WP) + M. anisopliae (76.92% )

25. • H. indica (WP) + M. anisopliae (83.33% )

26. Thank you