ABSTRACT
Plant protection is one of the key issues in the overall gamut of Indian agriculture. In view of indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides, environmental safety vis-â-vis sustaining crop yields, threats to farm bio-security, and crop health in the era of globalization, the situation has become rather challenging. Integrated pest management (IPM) follows the principles of understanding of the crop, pest, and the environment and their interrelationships to enable advanced planning with emphasis on routine monitoring of crop and pest conditions and balancing of cost/benefits of 218all management practices. Agriculture and allied activities are the main source of livelihood for the people of northeastern region of our country, and any attempt to reduce poverty as well as to place the region in developmental paradigm should have a system-based eco-regional planning for agricultural development. IPM is a complex process, and farmers lack understanding of the biological processes of pests, their predators, and methods of application of new components. There are a number of IPM practices that work best when applied by the entire community and in a synchronized mode. Thus, an integrated decision support system for crop protection services may be required to be devised centrally to monitor the pest dynamics through e-pest surveillance, analysis of pest risks, and provision of pest forecasts along with mobile-based dissemination of advisories keeping in view prevailing weather and changes in climate. This would necessitate networking of all stakeholders so that they could contribute effectively in a cohesive manner.
