National Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Programme.

During May 1991,the 11 Central Biological control Stations were merged with 19 Central Surveillance stations and 13 Central Plant protection Stations of the Central Dte of plant protection,quarantine and Storage to set up 26 Central Integrated Pest Managent Centers in 22 states and one Union territory.

    These 26 CIPMCs are working on the Pest Surveillance and monitoring ,,promoting biological Control of crop pests and weeds,Imparting trainings for human resource development on IPM to the farmers and State Extension workers through IPM FFS s and S L T Ps .

  Govt of India reoriented the policy on plant protection during 1985 by adoption of Integrated Pest Managent (IPM) as its cardinal principle and main plank of plant protection strategy in the overall crop production programme.

 IPM is an ecofriendly approach which encompasses cultural,mechanical,biological and need based chemical control measures of pest management .In this approach ,greater emphasis is laid on use of biopesticides, Pheromones,biological control agents and pesticides of plant origin.

     Under this National IPM Programme the IPM is promoted and popularise among the state Extention workers and farmers through IPM trainings and demonstrations by  these CIPMCs.

       With a view to provide technical knowledge to the Extention functionaries and farmers in the states ,IPM package of practices on different crops have been prepared and placed on the Website of the Dte of plant protection, quarantine and Storage for the use to promote IPM among the farmers in the states ..Third parties assessment of progress of IPM were undertaken on different occasions revealed that IPM technology is being transferred through training and demonstrations programmes and technology being received by the farmers and state Extention workers and such farmers are practicing IPM in their fields which resulted in reduction of chemical pesticides usages as it came down from 61357 Mt TG from 1994-95 to 43584Mt TG in 2000-01which can be attributed to implementation of IPM programmes.