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Israeli help to combat Eucalyptus Gall disease
News Source: Business Line
Vishwanath Kulkarni
A.Srinivas
Bangalore Dec.8 India has imported 'wasps' from Israel to combat the Eucalyptus Gall disease that is threatening to affect eucalyptus plantations across the country. Eucalyptus is a major source of fibre for the pulp and paper and rayon industry and is widely used in the manufacture of plywood and medium density fibre, besides the construction industry.
Although efforts are under way to contain the disease — which, according to the President of the Indian Paper Manufacturers' Association, Mr Pradeep Dhobale, is by and large confined to nurseries — it could hit 10-15 per cent of the plantation area of 2,50,000 hectares in the next two years.
ICAR initiative
"Out of a total annual wood output of 60 lakh tonnes from this area, a loss of five lakh tonnes is possible as a worst case scenario," Mr Dhobale said. "We have to act before the 1,40,000 farmers — most of them marginal — supplying inputs to us turn away from eucalyptus," he added.
Paper manufacturers relying on eucalyptus wood have taken proactive steps with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research's (ICAR) Project Directorate of Biological Control (PDBC) to combat the gall disease. As part of the two-year project, jointly funded by IPMA and ICAR, the PDBC will import and mass-rear the parasitoid wasps that kill the disease-spreading insects.
The disease originated in Australia and is caused by the gall wasp, an ant-like insect that lays eggs in new branches or in the mid-ribs of the new leaves of eucalyptus trees causing growths known as galls. The disease inhibits the development of the tree in its first year, impacting its productivity, even as the whole tree is not rendered useless.Israeli breakthrough
While efforts to contain the disease through pesticides have not proved effective, scientists in Israel have found a biological method to control the gall wasps. They have successfully mass-reared the parasitoid wasps that kill the gall wasps, thus preventing the spread of the disease. "This eco-friendly biological method will be accepted by farmers as it will not burden them economically," said Mr Dhobale.
The gall disease reached Indian shores about two years ago and was first detected in Puducherry. It is now prevalent in pockets in States such as Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. "Global trade and movement of persons leads to the entry of pests. We have created an international quarantine to develop the parasite to feed on that pest and work on a variety of safeguards to ensure that the parasite introduced does not create problems in the natural environment," Mr R J Rabindra, director of PDBC, Bangalore, said. "The disease mainly affects nurseries and new growth in plantations, resulting in loss of rotation," said Mr H.D. Kulkarni, General Manager, Plantations, at ITC Ltd. "Of the 100-odd clones of eucalyptus, about seven to eight are found to be disease-resistant and we are also looking at promoting them," he said.
"Eucalyptus growers could switch over to other trees such as casurina, subabul and acacia if the disease becomes virulent," said Mr R. Narayana Moorthy, Secretary General, IPMA.
Of the 9.3 million tonnes of paper produced in India, a third each is made out of wood, agri-residue and waste paper, respectively.
The State-owned Mysore Paper Mills Ltd, which has a 30,000 ha captive plantation, has offered its plantations to conduct the field trials, said the Chairman and Managing director, Mr Sudhir Kumar. |
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