Pest management beliefs and practices of Manipuri rice farmers in Barak Valley, Assam

673-676Manipuri (Meitheis) community is a separate ethnic group of people which has different entity in Barak Valley of Assam. They possess unique culture and method of agricultural practices. In order to study the farmers’ participation and traditional pest management practices in paddy crop, the investigation has been undertaken with the Manipuri farmers. Three sites viz. Mainabond, Sonai and Rajwari were selected for the study to document the farmers’ participation/beliefs and traditional knowledge in paddy pest management. A total of 97 farmers were interviewed through the questionnaire. Mean education level was found higher (8.42 ± 0.81) in Sonai as compared to other two sites, which indicated maximum use of modern insecticides. Paddy yield was also found higher in Sonai (370.5 ± 0.45 kg/ha) than other sites. Regarding pest management and use of insecticide at Mainabond, the yield was found highest due to frequent sprays of insecticides, whereas 86.36% of farmers of Rajwari did not use insecticides, and 90.90% farmers gave importance to the harmful effects of insecticides particularly on human health. For the management of different storage, farmers practiced some indigenous methods besides chemical pest management. These traditional practices proved to be a sustainable method of insect-pest management in Barak Valley