Report: EMPOWERING FARMERS ON SCIENTIFIC USE OF CROP PROTECTION CHEMICALS-PESTICIDES FOR MAXIMIZATION OF YIELD

GROW
SAFE
FOOD
GROW
SAFE
FOOD
EMPOWERINGFARMERSONSCIENTIFICUSEOF
CROPPROTECTIONCHEMICALS-PESTICIDES
FORMAXIMIZATIONOFYIELD
A Report on
July, 2017
Knowledge and Strategy Partner

Federation of
Indian Chambers
of Commerce and Industry
Federation House
Tansen Marg
New Delhi 110001
+91 11 2373 8760 (11 Lines)T
+91 11 2332 0714 / 2372 1504F
ficci@ficci.comE
www.ficci.com
CIN: U99999DL1956NPL002635
Mr. Vinay Mathur
Deputy Secretary General
Message
Supporting nearly 18% of the global human population and 16 % of Cattle
Population with only 2.4% land and 4% of water being available, is indeed a
challenging preposition, which is faced by the Indian farmers. Judicious usage of
Pesticides/ agrochemicals coupled with best farm practices is very important for
thesustainedgrowthofIndianagricultureandeconomy. Theyprovidepreandpost
harvestprotectiontofarmoutput.
There is need to facilitate national food and nutrition security. For that to happen,
we must empower farmers with knowledge about role of crop protection
chemicals, by bringing to their notice the good initiatives of the Government,
industry, latest in scientific/technological developments as also best practices
whicharesustainableandenvironmentfriendly.
I am sure, the deliberations at this Seminar will bring out good results. I wish it all
thesuccess.
VinayMathur

As Chairman, Crop Protection Chemicals Committee of FICCI, I am delighted to
congratulate the Department of Agriculture Cooperation & Farmers Welfare and the
Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Government of India for the initiative to
collaborate with FICCI to organise the Seminar on Empowering Farmers on scientific use of
cropprotectionchemicals.
In June 2017, the world's population stands at 7.5 billion and is estimated to rise to 9 billion
by2038.Thiswillrequireglobalfoodproductiontobeincreasedby70%overthese21years
in order to meet the demand. A major challenge in this process is that 25% to 40% of world
crop output is lost due to the attack of pests, weeds and diseases. Without the beneficial
effect of crop protection chemicals, around 20% of the entire world's agricultural produce
would be lost to post-harvest pest attacks. To minimize these losses and to enhance yields,
itisessentialtousecropprotectionchemicals.
Judicious use of crop protection chemicals helps to protect crops and increases crop
productivity by 20-50%. It is the responsibility of agriculture companies and other
stakeholders to adequately educate farmers and empower them with knowledge about
the correct usage and application of crop protection chemicals for best results. Further,
they must be educated on all new technology solutions that are available to them along
withguidelinesonsafehandling,safeusageandsafestorageofagrochemicals.
I am confident that the deliberations in the conference will facilitate the overall growth of
thisimportantsegmentofournation'seconomy.
Dr. Ram K Mudholkar
Chairman, Crop Protection Chemicals
Federation of
Indian Chambers
of Commerce and Industry
Federation House
Tansen Marg
New Delhi 110001
+91 11 23738760 (11 Lines)T
+91 11 23320714 - 23721504F
ficci@ficci.comE
www.ficci.com
CIN: U99999DL 1956NPL002635
Dr. Ram K Mudholkar
Chairman FICCI Crop Protection Sub Committee
President- DuPont South Asia &
Business Director- Crop Protection, South Asia
Message

1. Foreword 2
2. Executive Summary 3
3. Introduction 5
4. Need for Agrochemicals in Indian agriculture 8
5. Challenges for Indian Agrochemicals industry 11
6. Addressing Challenges through scientific usage of agrochemicals 13
7. Way forward 21
8. References 25
9. About Tata Strategic 26
10. About FICCI 28
Table of Contents
1
List of Figures
Figure 1: Structure of Indian Agriculture (FY15) 5
Figure 2: Food grains and Horticulture trends in India (Mn of tonnes) 6
Figure 3: Yields of major crops, 2015 (tonnes/hectare) 8
Figure 4: Per capita consumption of pesticides (Kg/ha), 2015 9
Figure 5: Domestic Market split by type of pesticides, FY15 10
Figure 6: Challenges for Indian Agrochemical industry 11
Figure 7: Integrated Pest management 15

P. S. Singh
Head-Chemicals &
Petrochemicals Division
FICCI
Manish Panchal
Sr. Practice Head - Chemical & SCM
Tata Strategic Management Group
manish.panchal@tsmg.com
Charu Kapoor
Principal - Chemicals
Tata Strategic Management Group
charu.kapoor@tsmg.com
This report provides an overview of Indian agriculture, the Indian agrochemical
industry, challenges with respect to usage of agrochemicals, and also discusses
measuresthatneedtobetakentoensurethatpesticidesareusedinascientificand
judiciousmannersoastobeeffective.
The rising population, increasing food demand, shrinking agriculture land area and
loss of crops due to the attack of pests and diseases will require us to increase
productivity of crops in coming years. To achieve higher yields, crop protection
chemicals are expected to play a significant role. Simultaneously, it will also be
critical to use them judiciously in order to maximize benefits and minimize the
impactonnon-targetedspecies.
In order to achieve these objectives, farmers need to be made aware of the right
pesticides to be used for specific crops, the dosage levels and the mechanism of
applying these pesticides on crops. Farmers also need to be educated about
implications of using spurious and cheaper pesticides. There's also a need to
implementmodernpracticesinAgriculturetolimituseoftoxicagrochemicals.
The Industry and the government both have a critical role to play in ensuring that
pesticides used by farmers are not only genuine but are also in required dosage
levels leaving behind minimum possible residues, and thus ensuring that the food
chainasawholedoesn'tgetaffected.
1. Foreword
2

Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy which along with its allied
activities contributes to about 17% of India's GDP. It not only helps meet the
needs of a population of 1.34 Bn, but also plays a significant role in India's exports.
Supporting nearly 18% of the world population along with approx. 16 % of Cattle
Population and with only 2.4% land and 4% of water being available, is indeed a
challenging preposition, which is faced by the Indian farmers. Judicious usage of
Pesticides/crop protection chemicals coupled with best farm practices is very
important for the sustained growth of Indian agriculture and economy. They
provide pre and post-harvest protection to farm output. The aim of this Paper is
to empower farmers with knowledge about positive role of crop protection
chemicals, by bringing to their notice the good initiatives of the Government,
industry, latest in scientific/technological developments as also best practices
which are sustainable and environment friendly. Increasing urbanization and
growing income levels are expected to increase demand for agriculture
considerably which means the crop productivity in India which is lower as
compared to most other economies, needs to be increased. This will necessitate
use of crop protection chemicals to keep down the menace of pests in Indian
agricultureandincreasecropyields.
India currently has one of the lowest per capita consumption of crop protection
chemicals in the world. While insecticides contribute to a major share in Indian
agrochemicals consumption, herbicides are emerging as the fastest growing
segment. While there's definitely a need to increase usage of crop protection
chemicals, care needs to be taken to ensure that these chemicals are used in a
scientific and judicious manner to ensure their effectiveness, and avoid any ill-
effects not only to the crops, soil and water, but also the consumers in the form of
humanbeingsoranimals.
2
Executive Summary
3

Scientific use of pesticides implies using the right product, with correct dosage and
with correct application methodology. When used judiciously, the products deliver
maximum impact on the target species. Indian agrochemical industry is also
plagued with the menace of spurious pesticides which contribute to about 30% of
the total value of pesticides consumed in the country. It is, therefore, essential that
farmers be educated about differentiation of spurious pesticides from genuine
ones,andalsoabouttheimplicationsofusingspuriousandcheaperpesticides.
There's also a need to implement modern practices in Agriculture like Integrated
pest management which recommends use of agrochemicals only after other
control mechanisms fail to deter pest attacks. The process of Mulching also offers
sustained protection against the menace of weeds. Use of biocides, which are
actually pathogenic microorganisms, can provide an ecologically sound and
effective solution to problem of pests. Use of Bio-pesticides, seed treatment and
development of genetically modified crops are some of the other methods for
reducingpesticideusageorimprovingcropyields.
The Industry and the Government both have a critical role to play in ensuring
scientific use of pesticides in the country. Agrochemical manufacturers need to
focus on research and development to produce safer formulations for agriculture.
Manufacturersalsoneedtoconductauditstoensurethattheirexistingproductsdo
nothaveanyimpactontheenvironment.
Farmers, on their part, need to keep themselves informed and updated about the
agrochemicals available in the market for their crops, and use only those pesticides
that are recommended by genuine agrochemicals companies, experts and
governmentagencies.
Farmers initiating use of modern techniques like integrated pest management and
mulching should be suitably incentivized to encourage use of such techniques. The
government needs to work closely with farmers and farmers associations to
educate them on safe and judicious use of existing pesticides as well as
advancements happening in products on a regular basis. It is also necessary to keep
the farmers informed about the implications associated with overuse of pesticides
or use of spurious pesticides. Sellers of spurious pesticides should be severely
punished to set a precedent and deter others from indulging in sale of fake
pesticides.
The government should also empower farmers by providing them direct access to
theend-consumersbyeliminatingtheintermediaries,andthroughdigitization.
With the government's intent to double the farmers' income in the next five years,
it becomes imperative for the government to provide special support to agriculture
andscientificusageofagrochemicalstoenableittoachieveitstruepotential.
4

Agriculture holds a prime importance in the socio-economic fabric of India.
Agriculture and allied sectors have remained the backbone of the Indian
economy and account for ~17% of the country's GDP. India, with a second largest
agriculturallandintheworld(157Mnhectares),isalsoranked2ndgloballyinterms
of agricultural output (USD 382 Bn) behind China (USD 1,005 Bn). Agriculture in
India employs more than 50% of India's working population. A split of major
Agricultural produce in India (FY15) is provided in the graph below. Sugarcane and
Fruits&vegetablecontributedto57%ofthetotalvolumeof1,080Milliontonnes
3
Introduction
5
Source: IASRI, TATA Strategic Research
Figure 1: Structure of Indian Agriculture
Sugarcane, 33%
Fruits & Vegetables,
24%
Foodgrains, 23%
Milk, 13%
Oilseeds, 2%
Plantation crops,
2%
Fish, 1% Cotton, 1% Spices, 1%
Total: 1,080 Mn tonnes
Split of Agricultural produce (Millions of tonnes)

6
The trend has slowly shifted from production of food grains to horticulture, with
production of horticulture consistently exceeding the production of food grains
from FY13 to FY16 as more and more land came under irrigation (Ref: Figure 2 ). Of
the total, fruits and vegetables together contribute to 91% of the total horticulture
productioninIndia
India is also among the leading exporters of agricultural products globally. The total
agricultural exports from India have grown at 28% from USD 11.3 Bn in FY10 to USD
38.7 Bn in FY15. The major agricultural products exported from India include Rice,
wheat, cotton, pulses, cereals, fruits and vegetables. India is also emerging as a
globalhubforexportsoforganicproducts.
Also, with our economy expected to become the 3rd largest economy in the world
by 2030, accompanied by a rise in urbanization levels, there will be changes seen in
the dietary patterns.With growingincome levels,a large share of population below
poverty line is expected to move out of it and spend more on food. This is expected
tocreateahugedemandforIndianagriculturedomestically.
Apart from increase in demand, the composition of the Indian food intake per thali
is changing. Hence now we see less dependence on Cereals and more focus on
Fruits & Vegetables, Milk and other forms of protein. This trend is expected to
continue in the coming decades with growth of income levels and change in dietary
Figure 2: Food grains and Horticulture trends in India
245
259
256
265
252 252
241
257
269
281 284 284
FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16*
Foodgrain Horticulture
Food grain & horticulture produce (Millions of tonnes)
Source: IACR, TATA Strategic Research

7
patterns. This will create a diverse set of demand for Indian Agriculture. The
estimated requirement of food grains in India in 2030 to meet the needs of an ever
increasing population is expected to reach 355 Million MT from the current 253
MillionMTwhichnecessitatesasignificantimprovementinproductivity.
In order to meet an increasing demand for Indian agriculture, there are certain
challengesfacingIndianagriculturewhichneedtobetackledurgently
l Reductioninarableland(from0.34hectaresin1951to0.13hectaresin2011)
l Lowercropyields(Ref:Figure3)
l Overdependenceofmonsoonsandincreasingunpredictability
l Riseinpestattacksowingtolowerconsumptionofpesticides(Ref:Figure4)
With a continual reduction in arable land, the production of food grains may not be
able to catch up with the increase in demand. One of the other reasons for lower
productivity in India is the loss of crops caused by pest attacks. The total number of
pests attacking major crops has increased significantly from 1940s. For instance,
the number of pest attacks in rice and wheat has increased in large proportions.
Every year in India pests and diseases eat away on an average 15-25% of food
produced by the farmers. The increased damage to crops from pests and
subsequent losses poses a serious threat to food security and further underscores
the importance of agrochemicals. The most recent example is the large scale
whiteflyinfestationofBtcottoncropinNorthIndialastyear.Duetothis,cottonarea
in Punjab & Haryana has declined by 27% to 7.56 lakh hectares in this year (FY 17
crop year) as farmers shifted to other crops after incurring huge losses owing to
whiteflypestattack.
Difficulties in adopting modern farming technologies and lack of knowhow about
modernfarmingprocessesandagri-inputsaresomeoftheotherproblemsfacedby
Indianagriculture.

8
While India stands second in terms of global output of agricultural producer
behind only China, per hectare yields in India have been on a lower side as
compared to their global counterparts. (Ref: Figure 3). However, to meet the
increasing and varying demands of food from the country, crop yields need to be
improved from the current situation and therefore measures to boost crop
productivityneedtobeadopted.
4
Need for Agrochemicals
in Indian Agriculture
Figure 3: Yields of major crops
Yields of major crops (tonnes/ hectare)
5.3
2.4
10.6
5
2.6
12.4
6.3
2.9 3.2
4
5.4 5.7
2.7 2.8
5.8
5.4 5.2
4.7
4 3.7
2.4
3.2
1.9 1.7 1.8
2.5
3.1
0.6
Wheat Rice Maize Soyabean
USA South Korea Japan China EU (28 countries) Brazil India
Source: OECD

9
Agrochemicals play a major role in enhancing productivity and crop protection
post-harvest. They are diluted in recommended doses and applied on seeds, soil,
irrigation water and crops to prevent damage from pests, weeds and diseases. As
per industry estimates, use of agrochemicals helps mitigate 20-40% of crop loss
from pest attacks, and increases crop productivity by 20-50%. Reducing crop losses
and judicious use of crop protection products can significantly boost productivity.
Thus, crop protection chemicals are very essential to ensure food and nutritional
security.
CurrentconsumptionofpesticidesinIndia
The per capita consumption of crop protection products in India is amongst the
lowest in the world. Currently the per capita consumption of pesticides in India
stands at0.6kg/ ha as comparedto 5kg/ha inUKand 7kg/ ha inUSA(Ref:Figure4).
On the other hand the per capita consumption in other Asian countries like Japan,
China and Taiwan is almost 50 times as compared to the Indian consumption. Lack
of funds and lack of awareness amongst the farmers are some of the reasons for
lowerconsumptionofpesticidesinIndia,thuscreatingtremendousopportunityfor
thegrowthofcropprotectionindustryinIndia.
Low consumption can be attributed to fragmented land holdings, lower level of
irrigation, dependence on monsoons, low awareness among farmers about the
benefitsofusageofpesticidesetc.
Figure 4: Per capita consumption of pesticides
Per capita consumption of pesticides (Kg/ Ha), 2015
17
12.5
3.7 3.7 2.8
0.6
China Japan Germany France UK India
Source: TATA Strategic Estimates

10
DistributionofAgrochemicalsbyProductcategory
Insecticides dominate the Indian crop protection market and form almost 55% of
the domestic crop protection chemicals market (~ USD 2.3 Bn). The major
applications of pesticides in India are found in rice and cotton. Herbicides are,
however,emergingasthefastestgrowingsegmentamongsttheagrochemicals.
Figure 5: Market split by type of pesticides
Domestic market split by type of pesticides (Kg/ Ha), FY15
Insec cides,
55%
Herbicides, 22%
Fungicides,
15%
Biopesticides,
5%
Others, 3%
Total: USD 2.3 Bn
Source: TATA Strategic Estimates

11
The Indian crop protection industry faces numerous challenges. Some of the
criticalchallengesarehighlightedbelow:
5
Challenges for Indian
Agrochemicals industry
Problemofpesticideresidues
India's compliant levels are in line with compliance standards globally with only 2%
of the 113,744 samples tested from FY09 to FY15 observed to have residues of crop
protectionabovetheMaximumresidueslevel.
Figure 6 : Challenges for Indian Agrochemical industry
Source: TATA Strategic Research

12
However, one needs to be wary of the fact that there would be certain pockets
within the country where injudicious use of crop protection chemicals may be
practiced, largely owing to unawareness in crop protection chemical dosage levels
amongstfarmers.InIndiatheresidueprobleminfood products ismainlyduetouse
of persistent pesticide as well as unscientific use of pesticides i.e. injudicious use of
chemical pesticides, non-observance of prescribed waiting period, use of sub-
standard pesticides, improper advice and supply of pesticides to the farmers by
pesticide dealers, effluents from pesticide manufacturing units, improper disposal
of left-over pesticides, treatment of fruits and vegetables with persistent and non-
recommendedpesticides.

13
Despite their significant benefits, if agrochemicals are not used as directed or
not handled with due care, loss of yield and /or environmental and health
challenges emerge. Therefore, it is essential for the farmers to be well educated
aboutthevariousprosandconsoftheproductsthattheyuse.
To successfully reap the benefits of crop protection products without
compromising the environment and human health, it is essential that farmers and
usersofcropprotectionproductsfocusonthefollowingelements:
l Scientificuseofagrochemicals
l UseofBiopesticides
l Seedtreatment
l Developmentofgeneticallymodifiedcrops
ScientificuseofAgrochemicals
Pesticides are substances that act as medicine for agriculture; hence they need to
be used after proper selection and advice. If not applied appropriately, it may
provide partial results, and could also end up affecting harmful water and soil.
Overuse of pesticides could also result in traces of pesticides being consumed by
human beings and animals, thus leading to several health hazards. An unscientific
useofpesticidescouldthusendupaffectingtheentireecosystem.
6
Addressing Challenges through
scientific usage of agrochemicals

14
Development of resistance in insect-pests against pesticides, pest resurgence,
secondary pest out-break and increase in cost of production due to high cost of
pesticidesareotherdisadvantagesassociatedwithinjudicioususeofpesticides.
Therefore, it is essential that crop protection products be used in a scientific
mannerintermsofrightproduct,correctdosageandapplicationmethodology.
PesticideSelection
l Identificationoftargetpests
l Selection of a pesticide that would control the pest with minimum effect on
otherorganisms
l Pesticide should be approved and registered under Central insecticide board
andregistrationcommittee(CIBRC)
l Only the required quantity of pesticide should be bought and storage should
beavoided
l Pesticide should be bought from authentic vendors to avoid purchase of
counterfeitproducts
DosageandApplicationMethodology
l Exactdosageasprescribedshouldbeused
l Formulation/dilutionratiosshouldnotbealtered
l Pesticideshouldbeappliedexactlyasdescribed
l Noexperimentationshouldbedoneonfarmbyend-usersoutofcuriosity
Minimizingcontactwithnon-targetspecies
l Correctsprayingsystemsshouldonlybeused
l Unused pesticide water should not be drained or mixed with fresh water. It
shouldbekeptseparatelyandusedassoonaspossible
l Proper personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, masks etc.
shouldbeusedwhilehandlingpesticides
l Anyspillageofpesticidesshouldbecleanedproperlyandimmediately
Modern technologies are available to optimize usage of pesticides which include
injection syringes, GPS and weed-eye technology. Compared to conventional
sprayers, the injection syringes help farmers in selecting different mixtures of

15
pesticides for different fields. The injection syringes also help farmers in changing
concentrationofasinglepesticide.Thishelpsinreductionofpesticideusage.
The GPS technology can reduce the pesticide consumption by up to 10% by
preventing double treatment, mapping of pest populations and by helping in
calculating the amount of pesticide required and time of application. The GPS
technology also helps in selective spraying of pesticides. Similarly, the weed-eye
technology is a recognition technology which uses infrared light to distinguish
betweenthedifferentweedspeciesandaccordinglytargetthedesiredspecies.
Along with the government the manufacturers must continuously advise the
farming community to make safe and judicious use of pesticides. It should be
emphasized that farmers adhere to the set of guidelines recommended by
scientists and the experts and should only buy pesticides from well established
companiesagainstreceiptsofpurchases.
Several other methodologies, which are still at their nascent stage in India, need to
beimplementedonawarfootinginordertoproducecropsinasustainablemanner.
Selectmethodologieswhichcanbeadoptedarehighlightedbelow:
A. Integrated Pest Management: Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a
sustainable approach to pest management using a combination of techniques like
Biological control, habitat manipulation, modification of cultural practices, and use
of resistant varieties. In this process, Pesticides are used only after ensuring their
necessity as per established guidelines, and treatments are made with the goal of
removing only the target organism. Pest control materials are selected and applied
in a manner that minimizes risks to human health, beneficial and non-target
organisms,andtheenvironment
Source: TATA Strategic Research
Basic Components of Integrated Pest Management
1.
Acceptable
pest levels
2.
Preventive
Practices
6.
Chemical
Controls
5.
Biological
Controls
4.
Mechanicals
Controls
3.
Monitoring
IPM
Figure 7: Integrated Pest management

16
The most effective, long-term way to manage pests is by using a combination of
methods that work better together than separately. Approaches for managing
pestscanbegroupedinthefollowingcategories.
l Biologicalcontrol
Biological control is the beneficial action of parasites, pathogens, and predators in
managing pests and their damage. Bio-control provided by these living organisms,
collectively called natural enemies is important for reducing the numbers of pest
insectsandmites
l Culturalcontrols
Cultural controls are preventive practices that reduce pest establishment,
reproduction,dispersal,andsurvival
Therearefourmainstrategiesforculturalcontrolofpestinsects:
1. Reduceand/ordisruptpesthabitatinandaroundcrop
2. Adjustcropplantingtodisruptpesthabitatandnutritionrequirements
3. Divertpestpopulationawayfromcrop
4. Reduceyieldlossfrominsectinjury
l Mechanicalandphysicalcontrols
Mechanical and physical controls kill a pest directly, block pests out, or make the
environment unsuitable for it. Traps for rodents are examples of mechanical
control. Physical controls include mulches for weed management, steam
sterilization of the soil for disease management, or barriers such as screens to keep
birdsorinsectsout.
l Chemicalcontrol
Chemical control involves use of Crop protection chemicals (pesticides) to control a
range of insect and vertebrate pests, diseases and weeds. In IPM, pesticides are
used only when needed and in combination with other approaches for more
effective, long-term control. Pesticides are selected and applied in a way that
minimizes their possible harm to people, non-target organisms, and the
environment.

Application of an Integrated Pest Management program offer following long-term
benefits:
v Areducedamountofbroad-spectrumpesticideuseintheenvironment
v Areducedchanceofpestsdevelopingresistancetowardsaspecificpesticide
v Areducedhealthrisktohumans
v Areducedhealthrisktopestsandorganismsthatarenotthetarget
v Lessharmfultotheenvironment
B. Mulching, groundcover, and manual control: Mulching is the process of
spreading organic or mineral material to manually control the growth of weeds.
Groundcovers are mostly plants that are grown close to the ground below the main
crop in order to control weeds. Weeds and insects can also be prevented by manual
control, though it is a highly labor-intensive process. Where a mulch layer is
sufficiently deep, few weeds will grow. In addition to controlling weeds, mulches
also aid the optimum development of the plants that grow in the mulched areas.
Otheradvantagesincludethefollowing:
l By retarding the amount of soil-water evaporation, mulches conserve moisture,
whichisparticularlyimportantduringdroughtyperiodsofthegrowingseason.
l Mulches help maintain a uniform soil temperature. They act as insulation to keep
the soil warmer during cool spells and cooler during the warm months of the
year. By maintaining uniform soil temperatures, they retard freeze-thaw cycles
during winter and reduce heaving of perennial plants. Strawberries, for example,
should always be mulched in the winter to help them survive the extreme cold
temperatures. In the spring, the straw used to cover the plant can be pulled back
betweentherowstoserveasanadditionalmulchtofacilitateharvesting.
l As mulch materials gradually become mixed with the soil, they increase the
water-holdingcapacityoflightsandysoilsandincreasetheaerationofheavyclay
soils.
l Organic mulches serve as "food" for many microorganisms in the soil. During
decomposition of the organic material, soil microorganisms secrete a sticky
material that promotes the granulation of the soil. The mulch also maintains
17

18
morestabletemperatures,sotheactivityofthemicroorganismscanprevailatan
evenrate.
UseofBio-pesticides
l Bio-pesticides, also called as biological pesticides provide an ecofriendly
alternative to the traditional pesticides. These pesticides are based on
pathogenic microorganisms specific to a target pest, thereby providing an
ecologically sound and effective solution to pest problems. The commonly used
bio-pesticides are living organisms, which are pathogenic for the pest of interest
like biofungicides (Trichoderma), bioherbicides (Phytopthora), bioinsecticides
(Bacillus thuringiensis), Bio nematicide (Paecilomyces Lilacinus), Entomophilic
nematodesandBiorationals.
l The Bio-pesticides market in India, valued at ~USD 24 Mn in 2015, is expected to
grow by 20% over the next five years. The key growth drivers for the increase in
demandofbio-pesticidesare:
l Increasingdemandforresiduefreecropprotectionproducts
l Growthinorganicfoodmarket
l Easyregistrationscomparedtoconventionalpesticides
l Increasingconcernaboutsafetyandtoxicityoftraditionalpesticides
l Thekeybenefitsofthebio-pesticidesare:
l Costeffectiveness:Costlierbutreducednumberofapplications
l Lowresidualeffectandmostlybiodegradable
l Lowpestresurgence
l Targetspecificandlessharmfulonbeneficialpests
Seedtreatment
Seed treatment involves application of biological and chemical agents that control
or contain primary soil and seed borne infestation of insects and diseases which
pose devastating consequences to crop production, and helps in improving crop

safety leading to healthy plants resulting better yields. Seed treatment chemicals
can help optimize yields by allowing the seeds to be more accurately placed,
reducing the seed dormancy potential and helping seeds germinate more easily in
hostileconditions.
Seedtreatmentcomplexitycanrangefromabasicdressingtocoatingandpelleting.
1. Seed dressing: This is the most common method of seed treatment. The seed is
dressed with either a dry formulation or wet treated with a slurry or liquid
formulation.Dressingscanbeappliedatbothfarmandindustries.
2. Seed coating: A special binder is used with a formulation to enhance adherence
totheseed.Coatingrequiresadvancedtreatmenttechnology,bytheindustry.
3. Seed pelleting: The most sophisticated Seed Treatment Technology, resulting in
changingphysicalshapeofaseedtoenhancepelletibilityandhandling.Pelleting
requires specialized application machinery and techniques and is the most
expensiveapplication.
Seed treatments are an effective way to apply anti-pest products for a number of
reasons.Afewofthebenefitsofseedtreatmentsinclude:
l Applyingtheproductdirectlyonthetarget,notthesoil,air,ormatureplant
l Usingaminimumamountoftoxicant
l Minimizingtheexposureofwildlifeandbeneficialorganisms
l Reducingtheenvironmentalimpact
l Significantlyreduceonandofffarmtransportationandhandlingofchemicals
Developmentofgeneticallymodifiedcrops
Crop biotechnology broadly includes areas of development of transgenic crops,
structural and functional genomics and market-assisted breeding. Sequences from
varied sources like bacteria, viruses and eukaryotic systems can be transferred to
plantstodeveloptransgeniccropvarieties.
A Genetically modified (GM) or transgenic crop is a plant that has a novel
combination of genetic material obtained through the use of modern
19

20
biotechnology. For example, a GM crop can contain a gene(s) that has been
artificially inserted instead of the plant acquiring it through pollination. The
resulting plant is said to be "genetically modified" although in reality all crops have
been "genetically modified" from their original wild state by domestication,
selection,andcontrolledbreedingoverlongperiodsoftime.
Presence of the desired gene that controls the trait can be tested for at any stage of
growth. The precision and versatility of today's biotechnology enable
improvements in food quality and production to take place more rapidly than when
usingtraditionalbreeding
ModernBio-Technologyoffersthefollowingbenefits-
v In some cases, an effective transgenic crop-protection technology can control
pestsbetterandmorecheaplythanexistingtechnologies
v It can endow crops with tolerance to abiotic stress such as drought, salinity, high
andlowtemperaturethusenablingproductioneveninunfavourableconditions
v It may help in enhancing the yield and quality with higher photosynthesis,
control of maturity and nutritional value thus resulting in increased food
securityandreducedmalnutrition
v It helps adding value and diversifying the use of crops other than food and feed
suchasmedicalandindustrialpurposes.

21
Thegovernment,farmerandtheindustryneedtoworkintandemtoensurethat
pesticides are used scientifically in such a way that Indian agriculture as a
wholebenefitswiththeresultantfallincropattacksandincreaseincropyields.
RoleofIndustry
It is important for the agrochemical companies to innovate products which can
improve the effectiveness of pesticide usage as well as reduce the negative impacts
on environment. Currently the Indian companies invest 1-2% of their turnover in
R&D as compared to 5-10 % spend by the multinational companies. It is therefore
essential for the Indian companies to invest in R&D activities. Some of the focus
areascanbe:
l Developingwaterbasedformulations
l Developingmoregreeenagrochemicals
l DevelopingTargetspecificchemicalsinsteadofbroadspecificchemicals
l Greenerroutesofchemicalsynthesis
l Reducethenumberofstepsinvolvedinproductsynthesis
l Development of lower dosage molecules leading to lesser volume
implementationandreducedquantityofactiveingredientsgoinginatmosphere
7
Way forward

22
Through Research & Development, the industry should focus on building products
that are less toxic and safer and avoid pesticides are extremely toxic. In addition, for
a sustainable growth it is imperative for agrochemical manufacturers to adopt
green chemistry processes, and develop new products which are nearly 100%
green. The companies should also perform a process and environmental impact
audit of their existing products. This would help the companies to perform an
environmental audit of their current products and processes, evaluate the
potential impacts of their products, and take actions to develop greener products
andprocesses.
The industry should educate farmers regarding the labels published on the
packageshighlightingthetoxicityoftheproduct(BrightRed:Extremelytoxic,Bright
Yellow: Highly toxic, Bright Blue: Moderately toxic, Bright green: Less toxic or safe).
The industry, along with the government, also needs to play an active role in
educating farmers about the right pesticides, the dosage levels and MRL
requirements.Manufacturersofagrochemicalsalsoneedtoconductstrictauditsto
ensurethattheirdistributorsdonotofferspuriousorcounterfeitproducts.
RoleofGovernment
The Government, by far, has the most important role to play in ensuring that
farmers use good agricultural practices, procure genuine pesticides and ensure
scientific use of these pesticides. Following steps need to be taken by the
GovernmentofIndiatopromotejudicioususeofpesticides:
l Educate farmers on usage of crop protection and other inputs: Crop
protection usage is essential for food security. However to improve the
compliance level on residues, government needs to work with Industry to
create awareness on Good agricultural practices (GAP). GAP would ensure
right dosage and timing of application, even further reducing the residue levels
on food produced in India. Also at the same time, Government needs to take
actions against vendor supplying spurious crop protection chemicals. Even
though the regulations are in place against these vendors, stronger
enforcementcandoalongwayinimprovingusageofsuchchemicals.
l Promote healthy mix of organic and non-organic production: Considering
concerns on availability of organic inputs for ensuring food security of India,
government needs to balance share of organic and non-organic food.

23
Moreover, the process for organic registration needs to be clearly defined to
ensureveracityoforganicproductsandremoveunethicalbranding.
l Tackle menace of spurious pesticides: Government should look to curb the
menace of spurious pesticides in India by educating farmers about the harmful
effects of using spurious pesticides, and also by taking strict actions against
thosesellingcounterfeitorspuriousproducts
l Promote Digitization: The Government should continue to encourage
digitization in Indian Agriculture, Through various portals like M-Kisan, the
government should focus on dissemination of information related to weather
patterns, crop cycles, crop protection chemicals, their appropriate usages, etc
sothatthefarmeriswell-informedaboutgoodagriculturalpractices
l Empower farmers: Indian government needs to implement measures to
empower the farmers, and help them modernize and procure good quality
agrochemicals that are safer and yield good results. To empower and motivate
farmers,governmentneedstotakefollowingactions:
Ensure swift and complete implementation of its plans to doublem
farmers'incomeby2022
Make funding available and provide subsidies to farmers for usingm
modern practices like integrated pest management or mulching which
reduceoreliminateuseofharmfulpesticide
Allow farmers a direct access to end-consumers, and remove them
intermediaries in between. This will help farmers sell their produce
directly in the market, and would help them fetch appropriate prices for
theirproductswithoutanycommissionstobedisbursed.
With Government's current campaign on 'Make in India' which has a special focus
on the chemical industry and aims to turn the country into a global manufacturing
hub, good growth in the agrochemical sector can be achieved if better
infrastructureandfavorablepoliciesareprovidedfor.
Roleoffarmers
Farmers need to keep themselves informed and updated about the agrochemicals
thatareavailableinthemarketfortheircrops.Theyshouldalsodevelopacapability

24
to discern a real pesticide from a fake or spurious one. Farmers need to understand
the implications of using cheap and spurious pesticides, and use only those
pesticides that are recommended by genuine agrochemicals companies, experts
andgovernmentagencies.
One of the most important reasons for higher residue levels is over usage of
pesticides. Farmers should avoid the temptation of using more pesticides or a
higher dosage of pesticides in case of crop failure, as this could result in disastrous
consequences. In the event of a crop going out of hand, farmers should seek
support from various agricultural institutes and forums made available by the
Government of India and agro chemical companies to voice their concerns and get
appropriate solutions for their problems pertaining to crop protection. Farmers
these days can also use their cell phones and send a message or use various Apps
initiated by the Government or various farming related start-ups to get immediate
solutions for their queries regarding crop protection. Such avenues should be
leveraged.
Concerted efforts from all the stakeholders are required to ensure scientific usage
of crop protection chemicals and will help our country remain self-sufficient and
possibly become a large exporter in agricultural with high quality crop produce and
setanexamplefortherestoftheworld.

25
1. ReportbyNationalBureauofPlantGeneticResourcesPusaCampus,NewDelhi
2. Agropageswebsite
3. CentralInsecticidesBoardandRegistrationcommittee
4. CentreforAgricultureandBioscienceInternational
5. OrganizationforEconomicco-operation&Development(OECD)
6. IndianCouncilofAgriculturalResearch
7. IndianAgriculturalStatisticsResearchInstitute
8. CompanywebsitesandAnnualreports
9. IPMinpractice:PrinciplesandMethodsofIntegratedPestManagement
10.CentreforIndianKnowledgesystemsarticleonSeedtreatment
8
References

26
Founded in 1991 as a division
of Tata Industries Ltd, Tata
Strategic Management Group
is the largest Indian own
management consulting firm.
Tata Strategic has undertaken
1000+ engagements, with over
300 clients, across countries
andsectors.
It has a growing client base
outside India with increasing
presence outside the Tata
Group. A majority of revenues
now come from outside the
group and more than 20%
revenues from clients outside
India.
9. About Tata Strategic
Drive Implementation & Change
l Revenue
l Market Share
l Profit
l Lead Time
l Cost
l Throughput
l Key Milestones
l Organization Structure
l Work Force Optimization
l Talent Management
l Culture & HR
Transformation
l Go to Market
l Market Share Gain
l Rural Expansions
l Alternate Channels
l Supply Chain
l Delivery
l Cost Reduction
Organization OperationsSales & Marketingl Competitive Strategy:
Entry/Growth
l India Entry
l M & A Support
l Alliances
Develop Solutions for Strategic PrioritiesFormulate Strategy
TataStrategicoffersacomprehensiverangeofsolutionscoveringDirectionSetting,
DrivingStrategicInitiativesandImplementationSupport
Our Offerings

27
ManishPanchal
Sr. Practice Head – Chemicals, Energy & Logistics
E-mail: manish.panchal@tsmg.com
Phone: +91 22 6637 6713
Charu Kapoor
Principal – Chemicals
E-mail: charu.kapoor@tsmg.com
Phone: +91 22 6637 6756
Report co-authored by Amogh Joshi, Associate Consultant (amogh.joshi@tsmg.com)
Tata Strategic Contacts

28
Established in 1927, FICCI is the largest and oldest apex business organisation in India. Its
history is closely interwoven with India's struggle for independence, its industrialization,
anditsemergenceasoneofthemostrapidlygrowingglobaleconomies.
A non-government, not-for-profit organisation, FICCI is the voice of India's business and
industry. From influencing policy to encouraging debate, engaging with policy makers and
civilsociety,FICCIarticulatestheviewsandconcernsofindustry.Itservesitsmembersfrom
the Indian private and public corporate sectors and multinational companies, drawing its
strength from diverse regional chambers of commerce and industry across states, reaching
outtoover2,50,000companies.
FICCI provides a platform for networking and consensus building within and across sectors
and is the first port of call for Indian industry, policy makers and the international business
community.
FICCI Contacts
Mr. P. S. Singh
Head-Chemicals & Petrochemicals Division
FICCI
Federation House, 1 Tansen Marg,
New Delhi-110001
Tel: +91-11-23316540 (Dir)
Email: prabhsharan.singh@ficci.com
Ms. Rinky Sharma
Assistant Director
Chemicals & Petrochemicals FICCI
Federation House, 1 Tansen Marg,
New Delhi -110001
Tel: +91-11-23487473 (Ext: 473)
Email: rinky.sharma@ficci.com
10. About FICCI (Federation of Indian Chamber
of Commerce and Industry)

Report: EMPOWERING FARMERS ON SCIENTIFIC USE OF CROP PROTECTION CHEMICALS-PESTICIDES FOR MAXIMIZATION OF YIELD

Report: EMPOWERING FARMERS ON SCIENTIFIC USE OF CROP PROTECTION CHEMICALS-PESTICIDES FOR MAXIMIZATION OF YIELD

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (19)

Similar to Report: EMPOWERING FARMERS ON SCIENTIFIC USE OF CROP PROTECTION CHEMICALS-PESTICIDES FOR MAXIMIZATION OF YIELD

Similar to Report: EMPOWERING FARMERS ON SCIENTIFIC USE OF CROP PROTECTION CHEMICALS-PESTICIDES FOR MAXIMIZATION OF YIELD (20)

More from TATA Strategic Management Group- Chemicals Vertical

More from TATA Strategic Management Group- Chemicals Vertical (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Report: EMPOWERING FARMERS ON SCIENTIFIC USE OF CROP PROTECTION CHEMICALS-PESTICIDES FOR MAXIMIZATION OF YIELD