GOVERNMENT ENGINEERING COLLEGE

BHAVNAGAR

Subject : Disaster Management Topic : History of Disaster in

the World : Pest Attacks Branch : 5th Mechanical

Prepared By : Amit H. Makwana ( 140210119064 )

Guided By : Prof. S. J. Doshi

Introduction to Pests : A pest is any living organism which is invasive or prolific, detrimental, troublesome, noxious, destructive, a nuisance to either plants or animals, human or human concerns, livestock, or human structures.

Often animals are derided as pests as they cause damage to agriculture by feeding on crops or parasitizing livestock, such as codling moth on apples, or boll weevil on cotton.

Types of Pests :

1. Insects :These are important and major

pests. Insects have three pairs of legs, two pairs of wings, segmented body and characteristic compound eyes and antennae.

Insects are tricky and cause damage in different ways viz. sucking sap from plants, biting plant parts, boring in to fruits, twigs and leaves, attacking roots, barks and blossoms etc.

2. Mites :These are creatures like insect but

have soft body and four pairs of legs. These tiny creatures have red or pale yellow colour. They suck the sap from the plant and attack the crops in huge number.

3. Rodents :This group of pest eat away large

amount of human food and also damage the crops on large scale. They are also responsible for heavy loss to stored grains on farms, in warehouses and houses.

4. Animals :Animals like Wild Boar, Deer,

Elephants, Wild Buffalo, Jackals, Monkeys, Squirrels cause direct damage to crop plants. They eat away the plants and by and large they waste huge amount of crops. 5. Birds :  Birds attack the crop plants and eat grains. Crow, Parrots and Sparrows are major among birds that attack the crops.

Damage by Pests : Insect pests inflict their damage on stored products mainly by direct feeding. Some species feed on the endosperm causing loss of weight and quality, while other species feed on the germ, resulting in poor seed germination and less viability.

The number of insects at any given time can be expressed by the equation:

Where K is the maximum number of insects that the environment can support, which is also known as the "carrying capacity" of the environment.

rtt

eNNKKN

)(10

0

Aspergillus candidus :This fungus is common in stored grains and

their products where moisture content is at least 15-16 percentage. It is known to cause preliminary heating of stored grains. Its presence is an indication that a stored lot is contaminated with spoiled grains.

Alternaria alternata :An important mycotoxin producing fungus that

attacks rice, sorghum and soybeans.

Fusarium roseum :This species causes scab of wheat, barley and

oats. Symptoms are the discoloration of seeds. It also causes "ear rot" in maize and may continue developing on maize left on the plants after harvest.

Examples of Pests :

Fusarium tricinctum :A mycotoxin producing fungus. Heavy

infestations are common when maize is stored on the cobs in cribs.

Helminthosporium spp :Fungi belonging to this genus may cause seed

infections in different cereals such as maize and rice.

Scopulariopsis spp : A predominant fungus associated with black

and white pepper, soybean flour and powdered milk.

Penicillium verrucosum : This fungus infects barley and wheat. It

produces ochratoxin, a mycotoxin that may lead to kidney damage in farm animals. Other certain species of Penicillium produce citrinin, an important mycotoxin that may lead to kidney damage in humans and farm animals.

History of Pests Attacks :

Solution of Diseases :

Build healthy soil :Healthy soil provides a home to friendly insects

and helps prevent many plant diseases. Plant resistant varieties :

Ask farmers or extension agents about seeds to make sure the ones you choose are resistant to common pests and diseases. Space plants correctly :

Planting crops too close together limits the sunshine and air that reaches the leaves, and allows diseases to thrive. But planting crops farther apart leaves room for weeds, dries the soil, and may reduce the harvest. Experiment to see what spacing works best for each crop. 

Plant at the right times :Pests and diseases often respond to the weather,

such as the first rains or the first warm day. Watching how each crop grows and talking with other farmers about these patterns can help you decide the best time to plant. Planting earlier than usual can make sure crops are big enough to resist pests or diseases that come at a certain time. Planting later can cause most of the pests or diseases to die out for lack of food. Plant a variety of crops and change crop patterns:

Large areas with only 1 kind of plant attract pests who like that plant. Water from below :

Watering from above can cause diseases that live in soil to splash onto plants. And wet leaves and stems are good places for diseases to grow. Using drip irrigation or flood irrigation can keep plant leaves and stems healthy.

Spray with natural pesticides :Natural pesticides prevent crop damage with

much less harm to people and the environment than chemical sprays. They are easy to make and cost less than chemicals. But even natural pesticides must be used with care. Never use more than you need. Always wash your hands after handling them. Always wash food before eating or selling it. A natural pesticide may work well in some conditions but not in others. If one kind does not work, try other kinds.

Thank you…