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VOL. 10, ISSUE 1 (2025)
Indigenous traditional practices for the insect-pest and weed management in Bilaspur and Una Districts of Himachal Pradesh (India)
Authors
Divya, Shivani Thakur, Mamta Verma, Deepti Gupta, Suresh Kumar
Abstract
Modern agriculture cannot sustain itself
properly without controlling insect-pests and weeds since they can drastically
lower crop quality and productivity. Management of pests and weeds is crucial
to both landscaping as well as agriculture. Despite their effectiveness, chemical
pesticides and herbicides have caused environmental concerns because of their
negative effect on soil health, human safety and non-target organisms.
Exploring sustainable options that support ecological preservation and
agricultural resilience is imperative. Traditional insecticidal and weed
management practices have played a crucial role in preserving sustainable
agriculture. This paper advocates the traditional methods of weed and pest
management in Bilaspur and Una districts of Himachal Pradesh. Weed management
in cropped lands of study area involves traditional methods like mulching,
mixed cropping, hand pulling, mowing, and crop rotation. Local inhabitants also
use mixtures like sour buttermilk, leaf-based herbal mixtures, citrus-vinegar
and herbal weedicides to control weeds. For non-cropped areas, manual removal
and community efforts are common, and weeds are often repurposed for various
innovative uses. On the other hand, for pest control, local farmers use simple
methods like spreading ash, applying cow urine with plants, mixing cow dung for
natural pesticides and using butter milk to trap pests. Azadirachta indica
is particularly valued for its powerful insecticidal and insect repellent
properties. Natural insecticidal properties are found in plants such as
tobacco, neem and adusa which are effective in repelling and controlling pests.
These natural agents are environmentally acceptable substitutes because they
show less toxicity to non-target organisms and less environmental persistence.
Even with its benefits, organic weed and pest control can be difficult to apply
and needs careful planning and observation. The future of natural weed and pest
control in agriculture will be greatly influenced by the fusion of traditional
knowledge and cutting-edge technologies.
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Pages:88-94
How to cite this article:
Divya, Shivani Thakur, Mamta Verma, Deepti Gupta, Suresh Kumar "Indigenous traditional practices for the insect-pest and weed management in Bilaspur and Una Districts of Himachal Pradesh (India)". International Journal of Entomology Research, Vol 10, Issue 1, 2025, Pages 88-94
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