Plantation forestry have grown phenomenally during the last couple of decades accelerated by government departments and farmers as a commercial activity by incorporating tree species of commercial and industrial value to meet the needs of local communities by providing fuelwood, fiber and fodder for humans and their cattle. Establishment of tree species varies with different climatic conditions and the demand for such species is on the rise. Forest nurseries are an integral part of plantation programmes as they contribute markedly to forest-regeneration activities. Successful establishment of plantations is dependent on well-managed nurseries which supply quality planting material. Nursery insect pests generally affect growth and overall health of planting stock, which affect the survival of seedlings transplanted in the field. Development of right pest-management practices is a priority area in forestry to produce healthy seedlings for improved productivity. Timely and proper utilization of the well-designed pest-management practices would keep pests at a manageable threshold and reduce costs of managing pests in outbreak situations. A package of practices for adoption in the management of selected key nursery insect pests of Albizia lebbeck, Aegle marmelos, Ailanthus excelsa, Azadirachta indica, Mimusops elengi, Phyllanthus emblica, Pongamia pinnata, Syzygium cumini and Tectona grandis is discussed in his paper. Proper integration of different ecofriendly management methods could help in avoiding injudicious and extensive use of chemicals. State Forest Departments, Forest Development Corporations, NGOs and Farmers raising nurseries for plantation purpose are bound to gain by the offered package of practices to manage pest problems in nurseries.
(Source: This is an abstract taken from the My forest Journal - June 2018, Vol 54 (Issue 2). The authors are John Prasanth Jacob, Nataraj, P., Vadivel, I., Senthilkumar, P. and Senthil, K. You can read the article at
https://bit.ly/2yBH2Y1, page 57)
