Vertebrate Pest Management: AINP on VPM (Rodent Control)

Various recommendations made on Rodent Pest Management by the department have been included in the Package of Practices of PAU for Kharif and Rabi crops (both in English and Punjabi), in the form a chapter on Management of Rodents and Birds. Latest recommendations made for the benefit of farmers of Punjab State includes:

• Recommendation on “Critical timings and rates of rodenticide application in sugarcane crop for control of rodent pests”.
• Recommendation on “Critical timings of rodent control in groundnut crop fields”.
• Recommendation on “Rodent proofed plinth to prevent rodent damage in outdoor grain storage”.
• Recommendation on, “Determination of critical timings and mode of application of rodenticides for management of rodent pests in wheat crop sown with happy seeder.
• Recommendation on “Rodent pest management in pea crop”.

AINP on VPM (Agricultural Ornithology)

Specific Technologies/ Recommendation included

• Recommendation on the reflective ribbon as eco-friendly management method for protecting maize crop from pest birds.
• Compact disc of distress /warning calls of parakeets and crows has been prepared , It is being sold by Communication Centre, PAU.
• Importance ‘Conservation of useful Birds’ has been included in the above-mentioned chapter on Management of Rodents and Birds included in the Package of Practices of PAU for Kharif and Rabi crops (both in English and Punjabi). It pertains to the usefulness of insectivorous and rodentivorous bird species.

Ecology and Animal Physiology

• The albino rats exposed to bisphenol A showed biochemical and histological alterations which were ameliorated by supplementation with Vitamin C.
• Studies conducted on fingerlings of Labeo rohita revealed that exposure of microplastics induced oxidative stress and histological alterations in vital organs of treated fingerlings in dose and time dependent manner.
• The studies conducted on Rohu (Labeo rohita), Catla (Catla catla) and Mrigal (Cirrhinus mrigala) revealed that fishes of South-western region of Punjab are more prone to oxidative stress due to groundwater contaminants and can be used as bioindicator for monitoring the impact of environmental contamination of water of this region.
• The mixture of heavy metals (As, Cd and Pb) present above permissible limits recommended by Bureau of Indian standards (BIS) in drinking water caused reproductive toxicity, hepatoxicity and nephrotoxicity in albino rats which could be ameliorated with dietary components such as Curcumin and Ascorbic acid.
• Different concentrations of sulphur dioxide (SO2), an air pollutant were found to cause oxidative stress and histopathological damage in lungs and other organs of male and female rats under laboratory conditions.

Parasitology (Biology of Parasites and Vectors)

• Survey of various types of standing water bodies of different districts of Punjab showed presence of Culex larvae in all types of water samples followed by Anopheles larvae, in paddy fields, road side ditches and gardens. While, Aedes larvae were found only in the water samples collected from desert coolers and earthern pots present in peri-domestic areas.
• The identified cyclopoid, Mesocyclops aspericornis (body size > 1.0 mm) was found to have efficient predatory potential against the Ist instar larvae of Dengue spreading Aedes aegypti mosquito in comparison to Anopheles and Culex, under laboratory conditions.
• Technology for mosquito repellent fabric got commercialized- MOA signed with “Textile firm Swift Corporation Pvt. Ltd, Manesar, Haryana” Sept, 2020.