Research Thrust
Current Focus
- IPM in rice, soybean, pulses, cotton and vegetables.
- Biosystematics and biodiversity of agriculturally important insects.
- Biological control with an emphasis on chemical ecology.
- Toxicology of synthetic and natural insecticides with an emphasis on insecticides and B. thuringiensis resistance management.
- Insect-plant interactions in important field crops and non-target effects of Bt-transgenic crops.
- Insect physiology with an emphasis on biological and biochemical basis of nutrition, digestion, reproduction, neuroendocrine control of growth and development.
- Insect biochemistry and molecular biology-characterization of enzymes/receptors, development of molecular markers.
Future Research Priorities
- Biosystematics and biodiversity studies in relation to economically important crop pests and their natural enemies.
- Development of IPM and xenobiotic resistance management strategies with special emphasis on biological inputs novel methods, computations and predictive modeling; elucidation of chemical ecological basis for plant insect and natural enemy relationship.
- Development of natural products as complimentary choices in IPM.
- Understand insect vis-à-vis host plant biochemistry for the management of insect pests through HPR approach.
- Molecular biology and physiology, especially of target sites in insect midgut, neuro-endocrines, reproduction and immune systems also of insect pathogens.
- Entomological studies on grain storage in silos and processed food products.
- Collaboration and linkage with public and private institutions.