The Dehradun-based Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) has also identified about 75 forest invasive species (FIS) in different parts of the country, which are a threat to the natural forest cover. Besides, there are 36 other FIS which are localised in limited areas. A special FIS cell has been set up in ICFRE under the chairmanship Director General Jagdish Kishwan.

“We are studying the behaviour of FIS and finding out ways to eradicate them from the forest areas and have also undertaken research on utilisation of FIS,” said Kishwan. The ICFRE’s biodiversity and climate change (BCC) division has prepared a country report on “Stocktaking of National Activities on FIS”, which has been submitted by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests to Asia Pacific Forest Invasive Species Network (APFISN).

In its studies, the Hyderabad-based Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA) found bio-fuel crops like Jatropha acting as a pest bank for Semilooper (Archaea janata), red hairy caterpillar (Amsacta albistriga), leaf webber (Pempelia morosalis), stem girdler, grass hoppers, defoliaters, leaf and inflorescence webber (Pempelia morosalis), spotted bugs (Scutellera nobilis/Chrysocoris purpureus), scale insects (Megapulvinaria maxima), leaf miner, leaf blight and leaf galls (Eriophyes cherian).

NBPGR has identified race or bio-type or strains of pests which are not known to occur in India in some imported consignments. These are Helminthosporium maydis/race T on sorghum from US, pea seed borne mosaic virus on broad bean and Burkholderia solanacearum biovar 2 on groundnut from Australia.

NBPGR has been given the responsibility of conducting quarantine checks on imported plants and plant materials used in public research institutes.

... contd.