Advances in Pest Surveillance and Pest Monitoring

1. WELCOME
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2. ADVANCEMENTS IN PEST
SURVEILLANCE AND PEST
MONITORING
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Presented By:
Ch. Naga Satyasri
BAM-14-028

3. Pest surveillance
• An insect pest survey is a detailed collection of
insect population information at a particular time
in a given area.
• The regular surveys of same place or locality at
consistent intervals to assess changes in pest species
over a time is called ‘surveillance’.
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4. • Monitoring involves determining number and life
stages of pest present in a location only, however,
surveillance in addition includes the loss
assessment and economic benefits by adopting
control measures.
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5. • Pest Surveillance
Refers to the constant watch on the population
dynamics of pests, its incidence and damage on each
crop at fixed intervals to forewarn the farmers to take
up timely crop protection measures.
(Agarwal, 2007)
• Survey
The planned procedure to determine these
characteristics over a defined period of time is known
as survey.
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6. 6
Pest Surveillance
Mode of Operation
Pest monitoring cum
Surveillance &
Advisory
Awareness creation
Salient Features
Integrated Pest
Management

7. Survey:
Conducted to study the abundance of a pest
species.
Types of survey –
Qualitative survey, Quantitative survey
Roving survey and fixed plot survey
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8. Qualitative survey: (detection of pest )
• Aimed at pest detection
• Provides list of pest species present along with reference to
density like common, abundant, rare.
• Employed with newly introduced pests to understand the
extent of infestation.
• Adopted at international borders (avoid invasion of any new
species).
Quantitative survey: (enumeration of pest )
• Define numerically the abundance of pest population in
time and space.
• Provides information on damaging potential of a species
and data can be used to predict future population trends.
• Provide the basis to decision making for adopting control
measures.

9. Roving survey
• Assessment of pest population/damage from randomly selected
spots representing larger area
• Large area surveyed in short period
• Provides information on pest level over large area
Fixed plot survey
• Assessment of pest population/damage from a fixed plot selected
in a field.
• The data on pest population/damage recorded periodic from
sowing till harvest.
• e.g. 1 sq.m. plots randomly selected from 5 spots in one acre of
crop area in case of rice.
• From each plot 10 plant selected at random.
• Total tillers and tillers affected by stem borer in these 10 plants
counted.

10. Objectives of Pest Surveillance :
• To know existing and new pest species (invasion)
• To estimate crop losses
• To assess pest population and damage at different
growth stage of crop
• To study the influence of weather parameters on pest
• To study changing pest status (minor to major)
• To monitor development of biotypes, resistance,
resurgence etc.,
• To assess natural enemies and their influence on pests
• Effect of new cropping pattern and varieties on pest

11. Basic components of pest surveillance
• Identification of insect pest (collected, reared otherwise
barcoding IBOL: International Barcode of Life).
• Determination of pest population (useful in pinpointing
factors that bring changes in natural population and
understand functioning of life-system of pest species).
• The loss caused by the incidence (based on ETL’s and
EIL’s) & the economic benefits, by the control measures.

12. 1. Identification of the pest.
2. Distribution and prevalence of the pest and its severity.
3. The different levels of incidence and the loss due to the
incidence.
4. Pest population dynamics.
5. Assessment of weather.
6. Assessment of natural enemies etc.
• This study will give advance knowledge of probable pest
infestation and will help to plan cropping patterns and to
get best advantage of pest control measures.
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13. Identification of insect pest:
• Correct identification of pest is needed.
• If the identification of pest is incorrect,
the decision for taking intervention for
the management of pest will not be
reliable.

14. Pest population studies are divided into:
• Extensive studies: conducted over large areas to
understand the: Distribution pattern of a pest
population, to predict the damage, to initiate control
measures and relate changes in pest population to
weather parameters.
• Intensive studies: repeated observation in a given
locality to determine contribution of various age
intervals to the overall rate of change or dispersal of
the species.

15. Determination of pest population:
• Absolute estimates
• Relative estimates
• Population indices.

16. 1. Absolute estimates (indicate density):
• The total number of insects per unit area (per
plant, shoot, leaf etc.) represent absolute
population.
• Useful in preparation of life tables, population
dynamics and calculate oviposition and mortality
rates (weather parameters, natural enemies etc.,).
• Also indicates relationship between the level of pest
population and resultant damage to the host.

17. Estimated by following methods:
a) Quadrat method: All the individuals on several quadrats of
known size are counted and population density is estimated by
extrapolating the average to whole area.
• A large number of quadrates are required for over dispersed
population than in the randomly distributed population.
• Useful as in case of immobile and large insects such as
cutworms, caterpillars, locusts and grasshoppers.
N = (A/a) × n
where A = the total study area,
a = the area of your quadrat,
n = the population size in your sample quadrat, and
N = the estimated total population size.

18. QUADRATE
METHOD

19. b) Capture, marking, release and recapture method:
• Involves capturing a sample of population, marking the
individuals (paints, dyes, labels, radio isotopes) and releasing
them into the natural population and capturing a sample
again.
• Proportion of the marked individuals in the total catch gives
population density.
• Used for butterflies, grasshoppers, beetles.
Total population (P) = (NxM) / R
P= population of insects
N =total number of insects caught
M= number of marked individuals released
R= number of marked individuals recaught

20. MARK RECAPTURE METHOD
MEALWORMS

21. 2) Relative estimates:
• Population is measured in indeterminate units which
allow comparisions in time and space.
• Help in studying activity patterns of a species for
determining the constitution of a polymorphic
population.
• These are obtained by catch per unit time or use of
various traps.
• Influenced by: behaviour of an insect with age change,
level of activity influenced by diurnal cycle,
responsiveness of sexes to trap stimuli, efficiency of trap
or searching method.

22. 1. Catch per unit time:
• By various collection nets (sweep net common).
• Individuals on the top of the vegetation and that do not
fall off or fly away on apporoach of collector can be
caught with sweep net.
• Effeciency influenced by habitat, species, weather,
vertical distribution.
• Vaccum pumps used for sucking insects.

23. Vacuum netting :
• In this technique engine power is used to create strong
vacuum which sucks the insects from plant canopy.
• Such nets have been used for sampling insects like
Leafhoppers.
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24. Aerial netting :
• Aerial nets are used for sampling air-borne insects.
• A true aerial net is a mesh-bag net with a handle which is
swept through the air to capture on insect.
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25. 2) Line transect method: Number of insects encountered
while moving in a straight line at a constant speed
through a habitat can be used as abundance.
• Used for estimating grasshoppers & locusts.
• No. of organisms per unit area can be calculated by:
Density (D)= Z/ 2R(V+W)1/2.
D= density
Z= no. encountered in unit time.
R = distance
V= average speed of observer
W= average speed of organism.

26. 3) shaking and beating:
• Insects can be collected on ground (polythene) by
shaking or beating the plants.
Eg: Helicoverpa
4) Knockdown sampling: insecticides such as pyrethrum or
other pesticides sprayed on plants enclosed in a
polythene envelope.
• Insects will be knocked down.
• The plants are shaken and the insects fall on the
ground can be counted to estimate the population.

27. SHAKING AND BEETING

28. 5) Trapping :
• Number of individuals caught per day per trap provide
an index of relative density.
• Most common method.
• 2 types of Traps: interception traps (catch the insects
randomly), attraction traps (attract the insects in some
manner).
Other traps:
• Bait traps, Malaise traps, Aquatic traps, Windowpane
traps, Pitfall traps, Light traps, Pheromone traps, Sticky
traps.

29. INTERCEPTION FLIGHT TRAPS

30. ATTRACTION TRAPS

31. a. Light trap : it is most widely used visual trap employed for
sampling for agricultural pests. Particularly moths,
hoppers and beetles etc.

32. • Mixture of yeast and molasses in a cone
trap to sample Corn maggot adults.
• The utility of trap is short lived due to
infection of bait by micro organisms
• So bait needs to changes frequently to
keep the trap active
Ex : Monitoring sorghum shootfly
Fish meal trap is effective.
b. Bait trap : Sense of smell. For
attraction a common
attractant is food

33. c) Pheromone traps:
1. Pheromone traps have been widely used
in sampling Fruit flies, spotted
bollworm, cotton bollworm and pink
bollworm.
2. Pheromone traps are specifically
attractive to the target species
3. No power is required
4. Almost all traps detect only adult males

34. d) Malaise trap : The Malaise trap is
basically a tent made of cotton or
nylon mesh with one side open
that intercepts flying insects.
The roof of the tent slopes
upwards to a peak where a
container with some preservative
located.

35. e) Suction trap
•A suction trap consists of wire-gauze funnel leading to a
collecting jar and motor driven fan situated below funnel to
create suction

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f) Window trap
• Trap consists of a large sheet of glass that sits in a collecting
through supported by wooden legs.
• Insect flying into the glass are knocked down into through
containing soapy water.
•Such traps are useful for sampling winged aphids and leaf
hoppers.

37. • Water trap: it consist of a shallow open
pan or tray mounted on a wooden post
• It is filled with water having some
detergent or soap or an oil film to aid in
wetting or drowning the insects
• An omni directional baffle is set in pan
for interception of insects
• these are useful in sampling rice pests
eg: Brown plant hopper

38. g) Sticky trap
• The traps are installed on a wooden stack
or a bamboo stick at various height
above plant canopy.
• Sticky traps are useful only against the
actively flying insects like aphids,
hoppers, flies etc. get trapped in such
traps.
h) Pitfall trap
• It capture ground moving insects.
• The pitfall trap consists of a smooth sided
container or bottle sunk in the ground
with a funnel at the soil surface that
empties in to the container.

39. • Removal trapping : It involves
reduction in pest population by
removing individuals through
repeated catches so catch per unit
time decreases
• Extraction from soil
• Insect species spend at least one stage
in the soil (or) at soil surface.
Therefore soil sampling can give
useful information on the insects
population.
• Drilling the soil with some equipment
and insect count are made from a
fixed volume of soil.

40. • Sieving: Dry and wet techniques are
used to sample the insects
• Flotation: Flotation technique used
alone or in conjunction with sieving
and other techniques
• Efficiency of flotation increased by
adding some salt such as magnesium
sulphate to increase the medium’s
specific gravity

41. 6. Remote sensing:
Remote sensing is the science and art of acquiring
information (spectral, spatial, temporal) about material
objects, area or phenomenon without coming into physical
contact with the objects, or area, or phenomenon under
investigation.
Without direct contact, some means of transferring
information through space must be utilized.
In remote sensing, information transfer is accomplished by
use of electromagnetic radiation (EMR).

42. Principle:
• It is based on the principle that absorbance and
reflectance of plants in response to pest attack changes
are recorded by a device from far away.
• The three-dimensional real time observations on insect
population can be achieved using remote sensing in
conjunction with silicone-oil-carbon black powder
suspension squeeze (3S) technique.

43. Elements involved in Remote sensing
1. Energy Source or Illumination (A)
2. Radiation and the Atmosphere (B)
3. Interaction with the Object (C)
4. Recording of Energy by the Sensor (D)
5. Transmission, Reception and Processing (E)
6. Interpretation and Analysis (F)
7. Application (G)
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44. Platforms
Platforms are:
•Ground based
•Airborne
•Spaceborne
Sensing from 1 meter to 36,000
km height
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45. Sensor-platform characteristics
• Spectral resolution = part of the EM spectrum measured
• Radiometric resolution = smallest differences in energy
that can be measured
• Spatial resolution = smallest unit-area measured
• Revisit time (temporal resolution) = time between two
successive image acquisitions over the same area
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46. • Aerial imaging systems have been used extensively for
detecting and monitoring insect infestations in both
agricultural and non cultivated environment (Myers et
al. 1983; Aldrich et al., 1983; Riley, 1989; Lund, 1997).
• Aerial photography is often used for detecting insect
infestations because of its high spatial resolution
(Myers et al. 1983; Riley, 1989) and aerial videography
has potential for entomological applications (Hart et al.,
1988).
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47. • Remote sensing can be conducted through satellites,
aircraft, or ground-based platforms.
• Satellite remote sensing is primarily for large-scale
studies (>1 km²) but sometimes not adequate in
applications that require finer spatial resolution.
• Airborne remote sensing is flexible and able to achieve
different spatial resolutions with different flight
altitudes.
• Ground-based platforms, such as handheld
spectroradiometers, are typically used for ground truth
study.

48. • In pest management, detection of insect damage to
crops along with weed infestation and crop disease
provides valuable information for management
planning and decision making

49. Leaf Reflectance Spectroscopy
• Healthy leaf – reflectance is low in the visible region
(400 – 700 nm) due to strong absorption of EMR by
chlorophyll.
• NIR region (700 – 2500 nm) reflectance is high due to
light scattering by the internal plant cells.
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50. Leaf Reflectance Spectroscopy
• Plant stress due to insect pests & diseases cause
changes in reflectance in the VIS & NIR regions due to
changes in chlorophyll content and cellular damage

51. Example: Spider mites
• Mites injury –
• removal of chlorophyll
• cell structure damage through
their feeding
• This causes changes in leaf
reflectance properties of the leaf
• These are changes can be
quantified to indirectly estimate
the number of spider mites
causing injury on the leaf

52. Spectroradiometer Cary 500 Scan UV-Vis-NIR
Spectrophotometer

53. • In real-time sampling
programs pests
• Hand-held
spectrophotometers
can be mounted on a
tractor with a GPS to
generate field maps for
site-specific pest
management of pest
Field Application

54. Remote sensing and pest management
• Satellite and airborne remote sensing data, coupled
with geographic information systems and global
positioning satellites, are potentially powerful tools for
monitoring pest infestations and their crop impacts.
• Remote sensing has been effective in identifying new
colonies of weeds in low-access areas and monitoring
the spread of metapopulations

55. ii. Plant damage: The amount of damage caused by
insects to crop plants is a function of pest density, the
characteristic feeding or oviposition behaviour of the
species and biological characteristics of plants.
Methods adopted for measuring damage by direct and
indirect pests.
a. Damage by direct pests: The damage by direct pests
is sampled on the basis of absolute or relative numbers
of damaged units. Eg damaged bolls per plant.
b. Damage by indirect pests: Measured by estimating
extent of defoliation in case of defoliating pests :
lepidopteran caterpillars, leaf beetles etc

56. • This technology can help to set priorities for herbicide
application and to direct treatment to the locations
where it can have the greatest impact on weed
populations.
• As this technology is improved, it is likely that pesticide
use will decrease with the change from whole-field to
pest-location-specific applications.
• Remote sensing for pest management in forest
ecosystems has been widely used for several decades.

57. 3) Population indices: measures of the size of populations
based on the magnitude of their products or effects.
i. Insect products: In some cases , a species that is
difficult to sample directly creates products that are
easily sampled by absolute methods.
The rate at which frass is being produced can be
estimated from the amount falling into a box or funnel
placed under the trees.
Population of web-building spiders can be estimated
by counting the number of webs.

58. BOLLWORM DAMAGE IN TOMATO
DAMAGE BY DIRECT PESTS

59. DAMAGE BY INDIRECT PESTS
CORN ROOT WORM
DEFOLIATION

60. Estimation of abundance of natural enemies
• For studying the impact of natural enemies on the rate
of increase of pest population, it is essential to
undertake field level studies so that potential and
degree of control exerted by the whole complex of
parasitoids and predators can be quantified comparing
growth rates under a range of natural enemy levels.
• The ratios of pests to natural enemies estimated in the
field could be used to predict trends in pest
populations.

61. Estimation of yield loss
• One of the objectives of the surveys is to estimate the
yield loss due to pest species in different areas and type
of farming systems.
• In general surveys to assess the crop loss due to pests
can be done directly by recording the yield or
infestation of pests.
• Direct loss surveys: the actual crop cutting yields in
field with different infestation levels and field with no
pest are recorded correlation between crop yield and
degree of damage is worked out to estimate the loss in
yield.

62. • Surveys of infestation/ pest damage: damage
by pest tends to vary, both geographically and
seasonally, as well as through the life of an
individual plant.
• Different parameters are recorded to assess the
damage based on the plant part the insect attacks.
Eg: dead hearts of YSB

63. • Pest monitoring:
• Monitoring is the process by which the
numbers and life stages of pest organisms
present in a location are established .
• The population size and the level of activity of
beneficial organisms must also be determined
for arthropod management.
• Monitoring Beneficial's is generally not as
important for other pest categories.

64. • There is no single monitoring technique that works
for all categories of pests, and even within a pest
category the best technique differ due to pest
biology and ecology.
• For example: direct counting of nematodes in soil
would require the use of different techniques than
counting tobacco hornworm caterpillars on a
tomato plant.

65. Pest surveillance and monitoring in India
• Pest surveillance and monitoring form an integral part of
IPM technology.
• Directorate of Plant Protection , Quarantine and Storage
(DPPQS), Faridabad, is organizing regular rapid roving pest
surveys on major field crops in different agro ecosystems in
collaboration with ICAR and SAU’s and a consolidated
report then issued by Plant Protection Adviser (PPA) to the
Government of India.

66. • Every year there is huge loss to the agricultural yield and
productivity due to pest and diseases the reason being:
1. No proper and centralized database for analysis and
forecasting of pest disease.
2. No on time advisory and early warning to the farmers to take
appropriate action against the pest/ disease.
3. No authenticity of the survey data
4. Compartmentalized information, and many more.

67. Problems in Pest Surveillance:
• Though 80% of farm advisories relate to pests & disease
surveillance, the basis of issuing advisories- covers limited
area
• There is no convergence in data of surveillance by multiple
agencies and authenticity/reliability is a major problem
• There is no accurate early warning at district, state or
national level

68. The consequences of the above are:
• Over-consumption of pesticides with impact on environment
+ livelihoods + market access
• Missed opportunities for early intervention
• Advisories always are curative than preventive
• No data base builds up for forecasting models
• No system to monitor “climate change” induced crop pest-
beneficial relationships

69. The solution to the above is:
• Different agencies need to work together on pest surveillance
• First vital step is to obtain convergent good quality data on
actual/emerging pest problems. This requires:
• A new pest surveillance partnership for field surveillance
• Standardisation of surveillance methods - predictive models based on
sound IPM principles and data collection formats
• Geo-referenced data capture
• All these will benefit from use of common tools such as an ICT enabled
handheld system by surveyors

71. A solution
ICT enabled, user friendly hand held device with geo-
referencing facility

73. Using device for surveillance
• user log-in
• what to do in a new field
– create a record for the field
– enter data about field conditions
– begin survey plant by plant (pests, beneficials and/or
any disease symptoms)
– check across field for disease incidence, severity
– review survey - summary
– add farmer details (optional)
– end survey.

81. Features Overview
1. Managing crops, pests, diseases and surveyors information:
• The Crop Management Module maintains information
about different crops which are to be surveyed.
• It also maintains information about pests, diseases and
surveyors.

82. Pest Monitoring Unit (PMU)
•One Pest Monitor
•One Data Entry Operator
•8-10 Scouts
Infrastructure for PMU
•One laptop with high speed internet connection
•Cyber shot digital camera
•GPS
•Pheromone traps and lures of YSB
•Monitoring Kit for PM, PS and Master trainer
•Proforma for recording observations for PM and PS

83. 2. Conducting survey with Hand Held Terminal (HHT):
• e Pest HHT is preloaded with the Survey Application.
• Using the HHTs, surveyors will survey different regions and
crops to monitor growth of pests and disease.
• The survey information is stored in the HHT database,
subsequently the Survey Data Manager Application can be
used to download data from the HHT and upload to a
central server.

84. 3. Upload surveyed data to a central sever:
• After survey is done, the surveyor uploads the data to a
central server in following ways:
• Using Survey Data Manager Windows Application to
download the data from ePest HHT and upload the
downloaded data to a Central Server.
• Using Survey Data Manager Handheld Application to
upload data to a central server through the GSM/GPRS
module provided in the HHT.

85. 4. Generating and viewing reports using Reports Web
Application:
• The central server maintains all surveyed data uploaded
by the surveyor through Survey Data Manager
Application, from where a web server will pick the data
pest wise / crop wise / region wise / date and time wise
(based on the user selection criteria) and reports are
generated accordingly.

86. Benefits
• Data collection made easy, is accurate and quick
• Integrated GPS for accurate location details, geo-referenced
data points across country
• Preventing data loss through data back up and automated
data transfer
• Timely and comprehensive summary reports

87. Contd…….
• Quality advisory to farmers through early threat detection
• Uniform surveillance protocols & convergence
• Monitoring pest development & pest forecasting
• Improved understanding of “climate change” impact,
development of appropriate responses
• Better advisories leading to effective pest management &
farmer’s prosperity

88. Benefits to Farmers
• Farmers get Pest Advisory Info within shortest possible time,
helping in:
• Preventing / curing pests
• Reduce unnecessary use of pesticides
• Use right pesticide in right volume
• Reduces farm production cost

89. • Farmers get forecast of pest / diseases over a period of time,
which helps them to plan and manage farm production cost
effectively
• Timely and proper advisory help in enhancing production
yields
• Farmers can take basic preventive measures proactively

90. Outcome
• Geo-referenced reliable data points across the country
• Uniform surveillance protocols & convergence
• Processed reports available in 24 hours
• Prediction of pest developments & pest forecasting
• Improved understanding of “climate change” impact,
development of appropriate mitigation steps
• Better farm advisories leading to effective pest management &
Farmer’s prosperity

91. 91
Awareness Cum Surveillance Programme for the
Management of Major Pest of Soybean-Cotton based
Cropping System in Maharashtra 2009-10 Under
Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana
Rabi Conference 24-25th
Sept.2009

92. 92
Background of Project
• Soybean is major cash crop in Vidarbha and Marathwada Region
• Lacunas observed : a). Lack of pest surveillance
b). Unawareness in insect and pest
Management
• In year 2008-09 heavy outbreak of pests on soybean
recorded 15 Lakh ha. Damage.
• Heavy loss in production.
• State Government paid Rs. 451 crores financial aid to farmers
Central team visited affected area & suggested project under RKVY

93. Area of operation
• For pest surveillance :- 28 districts excluding Gondia
District & Konkan Division
• Total 271 Tahasils for survey, advisory and IPM
• Total Villages- 29,927
• 46 % of the total kharif area is covered under this
project

94. Thank you!
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