FOREST PROTECTION DIVISION
Introduction :
Forest Entomology Division is one of the six founder branches which were started with the establishment of the erstwhile Imperial Forest Research Institute in 1906.
Division is proud of been nourished and headed by eminent entomologists of the country – Dr. E. P. Stebbing (1900-1902 and August, 1906 – December, 1909), Sh. V. S. Ayer (January, 1910- October, 1911), Dr. A.D. Imms (November, 1911-February, 1913), Dr. C. F. C. Beeson (March, 1913-August, 1941), Dr. J. C. M. Gardner (September, 1941 – May, 1947), Sh. A. H. Khan ( June, 1947 -September, 1947), Dr. N. C. Chatterjee (March, 1948 – November, 1949), Dr. M. L. Roonwal (December, 1949 – July, 1956), Dr. R. N. Mathur (August, 1956 – October, 1961), Dr. P. N. Chatterjee (November, 1961 – December, 1970), Dr. P. K. Sen-Sarma (June, 1970 – May, 1973 and September, 1976 – August, 1982), Sh. Pratap Singh (June, 1973 – August, 1976 and October, 1983 – July, 1989), Sh. Avinash Chandra (September, 1982 – September, 1983), Dr. M.L. Thakur (August, 1989 – August, 1995), Dr. H. R. Khan (September, 1995 – October, 2002), Dr. M. Ahmad (November, 2002 – July, 2008), Shri R. S. Bhandari (August, 2008- June, 2009) and Dr. R. K. Thakur (July, 2009 – July, 2010).
It is our pride that today whatever information is known about forest insects in the country originated from this division of Forest Research Institute.
Research Highlights
- Division has established one of the biggest insect collections of the country – National Forest Insect Collection (NFIC). It is unique in having 18,000 (including 1,800 types) forestry related insect species from the Indian subcontinent.
- Division has identified insect pests of almost all the important tree and timber species of the country and developed effective control measures to increase productivity of natural and man made forests.
- Successful biological control of Eucalyptus gall wasps, Liptocybe invasa in Punjab has been done.
- Digitization of insects present in NFIC (National Forest Insect Collection).
- Biological control of the noxious defoliator of poplar, Clostera cupreata, has been developed using parasitoid Trichogramma poliae.
- The Sal heart-wood borer, Hoplocerambyx spinicornis, is a well know problem in sal forests of our country. Trap tree operation developed by the division to trap the adult beetles is a major control practice for the pest.
- Technology for testing natural termite resistance in timbers was developed and accordingly timber species have been categorized for resistance.
- Division has done remarkable work on termite control in plantations and buildings.
- Aerial insecticide spraying operations were conducted for the first time in the country against pests of teak, deodar, poplar and chir pine.
- Division has developed economic and effective insecticide application methodology like drip line in the soil and tree injections, which reduce contamination of environment to many folds.
- Entomological Museum showing role of insects in forest ecology and human welfare has been developed. It imparts valuable information to general public and researchers.
- Division has contributed enormously in the field of taxonomy, especially of beetles, termites, parasitic Hymenoptera, etc. Thousands of new species have been discovered by the scientists of this division and by other experts from different organizations from India and abroad based upon material collected, reared and preserved in the division.