ASRB-NET SYLLABUS FOR

AGRICULTURAL ENTOMOLOGY

Unit 1: Systematics

History and development of Entomology, Evolution of insects , position of insects in the animal world, characteristics of phylum Arthropoda , structural features of important arthropod groups such as Trilobita, Chelicerata and Mandibulata, structural features of important classes of phylum Arthropoda viz. Arachnida, Crustacea, Chilopoda, Diplopoda and Hexapoda. Classification of insects up to order level, ha bits , habitats and distinguishing features of different Order and important Families .

Unit 2: Morphology

Body wall, its structure, outgrowths, endoskeleton, Body regions , segmentation, sclerites and sutures. Head and head appendages, types of mouth parts, antennae, their structure and types. Thorax structure, thoracic appendages and their modification. Wings , their modification and venation, Abdomen; structure, abdominal appendages both in Pterygota and Apterygota. External genitalia, general structure and modification in important insect orders.

Unit 3: Embryology, Internal Anatomy and Physiology

Embryonic and post embryonic development, types of me ta morphos is , physiology of ecdysis. General features and types of larvae and pupae. Structure, function and physiology of Digestive, Circulatory, Respiratory, Reproductive, Nervous and Excretory systems, Sense Organs; structure and types. Insect food and nutrition ; minerals, carbohydrates, proteins and amino acids, lipids, vitamins and their role in growth and development, artificial diets.

Unit 4: Ecology

Concept of ecology, Environment and its components-biotic and abiotic factors and their effects on growth, development, population dynamics, distribution and dispersal. Principle of biogeography and insects biodiversity. Biotic potential and environmental resistance. Ecosystems, agroecosystems analysis, their characteristics and functioning. Intra and inter specific relationship; competition, predator-prey and host­ parasite interactions, ecological niche. Life table studies, population models. Food chain and food web. Arthropod population monitoring, pest forecasting. Diapause and causes of pest outbreaks.

Unit 5: Biological Control

Importance and scope of biological control, history of biological control: Biocontrol agents-parasites, predators and insect pathogens. Important entomophagous insect Orders and Families. Ecological, biological, taxonomic , legal and economic aspects of biological control, phenomena of multiple parasitism, hyper parasitism, super parasitism and their applied importance. Principles and procedures of using exotic biocontrol agents. Utilization of natural biocontrol agents: conservation, habitat management and augmentation. Mass multiplication techniques and economics. Effective evaluation techniques, Biocontrol organizations in world and India. Successful cases of biological control of pests.

Unit 6: Chemical Control and Toxicology

History, scope and principles of chemical control. Insecticides and their classification. Formulations of insecticides. Susceptibility of insects to the entry of insecticides. Physical, chemical and toxicological properties of different groups of insecticides: chlorinated hydrocarbons, organophosphates, carbamates, synthetic pyrethroids, chlordimeform, chitin synthesis inhibitors, avermectins, nitroguandines, phenylpyrrozzoles, botanicals (natural pyrethroids, rotenone, neem products, nicotine, pongamia spp. etc). Combination insecticides. Problems of pesticide hazards and environmental pollution. Safe use of pesticides, precautions and firstaid treatments. Insecticides Act 1968, registration and quality control of insecticides. Evaluation of toxicity, methods of toxicity testing, determination of LD50, LT50, RL50

etc. Pesticides residues in the environment and their dynamics of movements, methods of residue. Pharmacology of insect poisons. Mode of action of different groups of insecticides; neuroactive (axonal and synaptic) poisons, respiratory poisons, chitin synthesis inhibitors. Metabolism of insecticides; activative and degradative metabolism, detoxification enzymes and their role in metabolism. Selectivity of insecticidal actions; insecticide resistance; mechanism, genetics and management of insecticide resistance.

Unit 7: Host Plant Resistance

Chemical ecology: mechano and chemo receptors. Host plan t selection by phytophagous insects. Secondary plant substances and their defences against phytophagous insect. Basis of resistance (Antixenosis, Antibiosis, Tolerant). Biotypes development and its remedial measures. Tritrophic interactions, induced resistance. Breeding for insect resistant plant varieties. Resistance development and evaluation techniques. Genetics of Resistance: vertical resistance, horizontal resistance, oligogenic resistance, polygenic resistance. Biotechnological approaches and development of transgenic insect resistant plants, its advantages and limitations. Case histories. Insect resistance to transgenic plants and its management.

Unit 8: Innovative Approaches in Pest Control

Behavioural control: pheromones-types and uses, advantages and limitations. Hormonal control: types and function of insect hormones, insect hormone mimics , advantages and limitations. chemosterilants, antifeedants, attractants, repellents; their types, method of applications, advantages and limitations. Genetic control: concepts and methods, case histories, advantages and limitations. Potentialities of IPM.

Unit 9: Integrated Pest Management

History, concept and principles of IPM. Components of IPM: Host plant resistance, agronomic manipulations, physical and mechanical methods, chemical methods, biocontrol agents utilization, genetic and behavioural control strategy etc. IPM strategies for field and horticultural crops. IPM case histories. Concept of damage levels- Economic threshold levels (ETL), Economic injury levels (EIL) and their determination. System approach, agroecosystem and cropping system vs. IPM. Constraints and Strategies of IPM implementation.

Unit 10: Pesticide Application Equipments

Types of appliances : sprayers, dusters, foggene rotators, smoke generators, soil injecting guns, seed treating drums, flame throwers, etc. Power operated sprayers and dusters . Types of nozzles and their uses. Maintenance of appliances. Aerial application of pesticides, principles of aerial application, factors affecting the effectiveness of aerial application. Equipments for aerial applications. Advantages and disadvantages of aerial application .

Unit 11: Pests of Field Crops and their Management

Distribution, host range, biology and bionomics, nature of damage and management of arthropod pests of cereals, Oilseed, pulses and fibre crops, sugarcane and tobacco. Polyphagous pests: locusts, termites, hairy caterpillars, cutworms and white grubs .

Unit 12: Pests of Horticultural Crops and their Management

Distribution, host range, biology and bionomics, nature of damage and management of arthropod pests of vegetables, fruits and plantation crops, spices, condiments and ornamentals.

Unit 13: Pests of Stored Products and their Management

Fundamentals of storage of grains and grain products. Storage losses, sources of infestation/infection, factors influencing losses, insect and non-insect pests, their nature of damage and control. Microflora in storage environment and their control. Storage structures, bulk storage and bag storage, their relative efficacy and demerits. Grain drying methods and aeration. Non-insect pests (rodents, birds, mites) of stored products and their control. Integrated management of storage pests.

Unit 14: Arthropod Vectors of Plant Diseases

Common arthropod vectors viz., aphids, leaf hoppers, plant hoppers, whiteflies, thrips, psylids, beetles, weevils, flies, bees and mites and their relationship with the plant pathogenic fungi, bacteria, viruses, mycoplasma. Mechanism of pathogen transmission: Active mechanical transmission, biological transmission. Toxicogenic insects, mites and phytotoxemia. Some important arthropod vector transmitted diseases and their epidemiology in India. Management of vector and its effect on control of diseases.

Unit 15: HoneyBees and Bee-keeping

Honeybees and their economic importance. Bee species, their behaviour, habit and habitats. Bee Keeping: bee pasturage, hives and equipments, seasonal management. Bee enemies including diseases and their control.

Unit 16: Silkworms and Sericulture

Silkworm species, their systematic position and salient features . Rearing techniques of mulberry-muga-eri and tassar silkworms. Nutritional requirements of silkworms . Sericulture: rearing house and appliances, silkworm breeds, principles of voltism and nioultism, seed production and its economics. Enemies and diseases of silkworms and their management. Sericulture organization in India.

Unit 17: Lac Insect

Lac insect, its biology, habit and habitats. Host Trees: pruning, inoculation, lac cropping techniques, and harvesting. Enemies of lac insect and their control.

Unit 18: Other Useful Insects Pollinators, biocontrol agents of weeds, soil fertility improving agents, scavengers. Use of insects and insect products in medicines. Usefulness of insects in scientific investigations, insects as food.

Unit 19: Statistics and Computer Application

Frequency distribution, mean, mode and median. Standard, normal, binomial and Poisson's distribution, Sampling methods and standard errors. Correlation and regression: Partial and multiple , tests of significance ; t, F, chi- square, Duncan's multiple range tests. Design of experiments : Principles of Randomized block design , completely randomized block design, Latin square design, Split-plot designs. Probit analysis . Use of software packages like SPSS, SAS, etc. for the above tests and designs of experiments for analysis.