1Jai Research Foundation, Valvada-396108, Gujarat, India.
2Searle (India) Limited, Agrochemicals Division, 126, M.G. Road, Secunderabad-500003 (A.P.), India.
Pesticides form an important component of plant protection umbrella for increasing food production with good agricultural practices. The production of agro-chemicals is mostly vested with agrochemical industries (Mostly private sector) barring one or two public sector enterprises like HTL. The pesticide utilization pattern in India on different crops is not alarming as seen from the data that on an average Indian farmer utilizes only 570 g/ha as against 17 and 12 kg/ha in Taiwan and Japan respectively. However, it is noteworthy that in India 70% insecticides are used on different crops, while the global picture indicates 43.6% utilization. While the herbicide utilization is only 12% in India as against 20.6% world over. Hence there is an urgent need to adopt caareful pesticide management techniquies and diversify the insecticide use and develop new herbicides, fungicides and other novel pesticides which could go as a component in the IPM practices.
This paper deals in detail about the role of the industry in creating awareness in safe use of pesticides and plant protection equipment among the farming community through its association besides other items.
