2008-'09 - Kerala Forest Research Institute

Annual Report 2008-09
Establishment of a Bamboo Technical Support Group for South Zone under
National Bamboo Mission
Interaction Workshop on 'bamboo resource development and utilization'(L) and Field visit (R)
Nine training programmes were organized for field functionaries. A total of 122
participants attended the programme from Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu
and Andhra Pradesh. Lecture notes for field functionaries were compiled for printing
as a training manual. Seven Exposure visits were organized for progressive farmers.
Necessary technical support was provided to Kerala State Bamboo Steering Committee
by attending their meeting and providing required information.
Field visits to bambusetum, nursery, bamboo factories and bamboo growing areas were
also conducted as part of the training programmes.
Pest/disease control
Studies on controlling teak defoliator outbreaks by seeding the baculovirus, HpNPV in
epicentre populations
The project aimed at developing a pest management strategy to control the teak defoliator,
Hyblaea puera (Lepidoptera; Hyblaeidae) combining the present knowledge on the
characteristics of the population dynamics of the pest and the mode of transmission of
its potential microbial pathogen, the HpNPV. During the period, field populations of
Hyblaea puera occurring in 7500 ha of teak plantations in the study area (Nilambur)
were monitored, mapped and screened for natural baculovirus load. Vertical transmission
of HpNPV in laboratory/ natural populations of H. puera was studied with the view that
a weak virus application late in the larval period would produce a population of infected
adults which could contribute to development of epizootic.
Laboratory experiments were conducted to quantify the impact of sublethal infection
on the growth and reproductive parameters of the insect. Experiments were also
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Kerala Forest Research Institute