Demonstration of Ecological Engineering and Eco-friendly Pest and Disease Management Strategies in Paddy

Paddy (Oryza sativa L.) is the stable food crop for 50 per cent of world population. About 90 per cent of paddy area is in Asia. Around 1373 insect pests are known to attack paddy crop. Among these, 20 to 30 insect pests are causing economic damage and causes reduction in yield up to 25 to 30%. Pest problems have increased tremendously due to monoculture, overlapping of crops, dense cropping and availability of preferred host. Intensive rice production with the primary goal of achieving high yield is often characterized by the excessive application of fertilizers and pesticides. It has led to many negative environmental effects, such as the reduction of biodiversity and natural International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 9 Number 8 (2020) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com