IFC-CROPSAP

Pesticides form part of Indian farming to tackle the 15-25% of crop produce lost due to insect pests, diseases and weeds. While insecticides and fungicides constitute 60 and 18% market share of agrochemicals, bio-insecticides and bio-fungicides for the management of insect pests and fungal pathogens, respectively constitute 3% of the Indian crop protection market. Registered pesticides for use on a particular crop against recommended insect pests and diseases at recommended dosages using appropriate application methods with precise dilutions are important efficacious management of target pests without leading to secondary pest outbreaks or pest resurgence or hazards to human health and environment. Increasing concerns of the safety and toxicity of pesticides require increasing awareness and strict adherence to judicious use of pesticides in terms of their selection, procurement of appropriate quantity, choice of application method, dilutions in spray fluid and waiting period after the application before harvest of produce. ICAR-NRIIPM felt the need for the provision of easy access to registered pesticides to all stakeholders of crop protection with information on recommended dosages and application methods so as enhance their proper field use on a scientific basis. Increasing concerns of the safety and toxicity of pesticides require increasing awareness and strict adherence to judicious use of pesticides in terms of their selection, procurement of appropriate quantity, choice of application method, dilutions in spray fluid and waiting period after the application before harvest of produce. In India, Central Insecticide Board and Registration Committee (CIB&RC) is the apex authority registering pesticide products for manufacture, sale, use, import and export. Ideally ‘pesticides with label claims’ registered pesticides be it chemical or biological including plant products for the spectrum of crops and pests are updated regularly based on the database generated on bioefficacy, persistence and residues by the pesticide companies, governmental research organizations and universities. Recommendations on pesticides flow to the farmers through extension agencies and Krishi Vigyan Kendras in each State as a part of a package of practices. Nevertheless, the use of pesticides in India continues to be strongly market driven and credit facilities offered by companies to farmers act as an attractant that largely the local vendors govern pesticide recommendations with little scientific protocols advocated.

Therefore, considering the current status and recommendation pathways of pesticide use in India and the potential outreach of digital technology, an android application for insecticide and fungicide calculations named ‘Insecticide and Fungicide Calculator’ (IFC) for eight i.e. Soybean, Rice, Cotton, Maize, Pigeonpea, Sorghum, Sugarcane & Chickpea has been developed. The insecticides and fungicides recommended for insects and diseases along with their dosages, the volume of spray fluid to be used and the waiting period besides additional information was compiled from CIBRC. A miscellaneous function of the area converter in the app operates independently. ‘More info’ provides details on the source. The ‘Feedback’ button allows users to interact with the developer of IFC through an inbuilt email address when ‘online’. The current version of the application provides information in English and Marathi languages to the user.