Introduces a three-fold solution to tackle white grub menace
Aaria Biolifesciences Research a bio-based agri input manufacturer based out of Pune has come up with a three-fold attack mechanism using entomopathogenic fungi like Beauveria bassiana, Metarhyzium anisoplaea and Verticillium leccanii.
“The objective was to come up with a sustainable solution to counter the white grub attack which can cause severe losses at a fast pace to the crop. This three-fold solution will prove to be an important component of the integrated pest management module, especially for white grub management. This can be easily applied by farmers in whichever way is suitable,” said Dr Richa Nair Co-Founder & Director, Aaria Biolife.
White grubs are extremely destructive soil pests known to damage a wide variety of crops. Once established in the field, this pest causes a loss of 25-90 per cent which is pretty heavy for the farmer to recover from. The agriculture department of Maharashtra, India, had reported infestation of the pest in about 1.54 lakh of the state’s overall 11 lakh hectares cane area in the 2018-19 sugar season.
As almost all fungi produce spores which are like seeds, from which new fungi can be grown, they can also be delivered to farms in a solid form. Availability of a pest solution in liquid, as well as solid form, makes it more convenient for the end-user as the application can be done as per the resources available on the farm, through water lines or through drenching or mixing it in the pre-plantation fertiliser dozes which are applied on farm. After favourable results with more than 20,000+ farmers across Maharashtra, Aaria Biolife has already started entering into large B2B deals with other input providers who want to expand their biological portfolio.
