Soil Solarization: An Eco-Friendly Alternative to Chemical Pesticides for the Management of Diseases in Plants

Abstract

The annual crop loss due to pests and diseases in our country is around 18 per cent of total crop produce, which amounts to loss of more than Rs 30,000 crores annually. This necessitated the use of pesticides for managing the pests in different crops and pesticide consumption in India increase from 434 MT in 1954 to approximately 90,000 MT till now. No doubt, we were able to check the immediate threat of the pests for a short term but resistance to pesticides is now known in over 504 insect and mite pests in comparison to only 7 insect-pest in 1954. Similarly, several species of fungi are also resistant to different fungicides. Above all, due to indiscriminate use of pesticides in our country, our drinking water in rivers and wells is laced with pesticides. Majority of mineral water sort drink brands available in the market found to contain residues of banned pesticides, which were above safer limits. According to a report of Indian Council of Medical  Research released in 1993, 2,205 samples of milk were collected from 12 states in India contained residues of DDT complex and Lindane insecticides, which have been banned and

not sage to human health. Analysis of 13 brands of wheat flour packing in the country's major wheat consuming zones were found to have Lindane. Another report of Indian Council of Medical Research in 1996 disclosed that 51 per cent of food commodities were found contaminated with pesticides out of which 20 per cent had excess limits than minimum residue levels fixed. The concern of agricultural produce contaminated with pesticides was again

echoed in the report of All India Co-ordinate Research Project released in 1999 which showed that 60 per cent food commodities were found contaminated with pesticides, out of which 14 per cent were above minimum residue level. The repot further states that] 00 per cent vegetables and fruits samples and collected from 16 states were found to be contaminated with pesticides. Further, 183 pesticides have been registered in our country and safer limits (minimum

residue levels) for only 70 pesticides have been fixed.