Indigenous pest management practices prevalent among hill farmers of Uttarakhand

Abstract

Indigenous pest management practices were used before the arrival of chemical pest management. These were location and pest specific and cheap. With those practices, farmers would manage pests effectively without deteriorating environment. These practices could be very important if incorporated into integrated pest management research to enrich the research process and make it more relevant for the farmers. For this to happen, their documentation and scientific testing is necessary. In Uttarakhand hills, farmers are still managing pests with indigenous methods. Due to the prevalence of traditional system of farming, there are many chances of finding indigenous pest management practices. The study identifies various indigenous pest management practices and scientific basis of practicing them.