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.