Rep o rt of th e tw en - Rotterdam Convention
Rep o rt of th e tw en - Rotterdam Convention
Rep o rt of th e tw en - Rotterdam Convention
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<strong>th</strong>rough <strong>th</strong>e diversification <strong>of</strong> training and education programmes for plant quarantine personnel,<br />
etc.<br />
The Rural Developm<strong>en</strong>t Administration monitored <strong>th</strong>e occurr<strong>en</strong>ce <strong>of</strong> major pests all over <strong>th</strong>e<br />
country by operating 149 monitoring stations <strong>of</strong> rice and 1 403 observatory posts <strong>of</strong> rice and major<br />
vegetables, and provided <strong>th</strong>e data for pest control. Also, in order to sustain <strong>en</strong>vironm<strong>en</strong>t-fri<strong>en</strong>dly<br />
agriculture, control techniques using natural <strong>en</strong>emies for gre<strong>en</strong>house pests were provided to farmers.<br />
The Review Standard for <strong>th</strong>e Registration Test Me<strong>th</strong>od <strong>of</strong> Bio-Pesticide and <strong>th</strong>e Registration Application<br />
Docum<strong>en</strong>t Act was established in April 2005, and <strong>en</strong>couraged <strong>th</strong>e developm<strong>en</strong>t and registration <strong>of</strong><br />
low-toxic, non-residual, <strong>en</strong>vironm<strong>en</strong>t-fri<strong>en</strong>dly bio-pesticides such as <strong>th</strong>e natural extracts and sex<br />
pheromone.<br />
In relation to <strong>th</strong>e International Cooperation in Plant Protection Developm<strong>en</strong>t Project, <strong>th</strong>e Rural<br />
Developm<strong>en</strong>t Administration is carrying out <strong>th</strong>e following <strong>tw</strong>o projects:<br />
i. “UNDP/Environm<strong>en</strong>t-Fri<strong>en</strong>dly Agriculture Project (2003-2007)” aimed at <strong>th</strong>e<br />
developm<strong>en</strong>t <strong>of</strong> “Environm<strong>en</strong>t-Fri<strong>en</strong>dly and Sustainable Farming” and its settlem<strong>en</strong>t in<br />
<strong>th</strong>e country.<br />
ii. “Cooperation Project on Forecasting <strong>of</strong> Rice Insect Pest (2001-2005)” aimed at <strong>th</strong>e<br />
establishm<strong>en</strong>t <strong>of</strong> <strong>th</strong>e early-detection-system against brown plant hopper (Nilaparvata<br />
lug<strong>en</strong>s) <strong>th</strong>rough <strong>th</strong>e bilateral cooperation be<strong>tw</strong>e<strong>en</strong> <strong>th</strong>e <strong>Rep</strong>ublic <strong>of</strong> Korea and <strong>th</strong>e<br />
People’s <strong>Rep</strong>ublic <strong>of</strong> China.<br />
3.17 Sri Lanka<br />
Inter-institutional cooperation among sci<strong>en</strong>tists and fostering <strong>of</strong> plant protection activities in<br />
<strong>th</strong>e National Agricultural Research System (NARS) were str<strong>en</strong>g<strong>th</strong><strong>en</strong>ed <strong>th</strong>rough establishm<strong>en</strong>t <strong>of</strong> <strong>th</strong>e<br />
National Committee on Plant Protection. This committee had be<strong>en</strong> giv<strong>en</strong> <strong>th</strong>e mandate <strong>of</strong> id<strong>en</strong>tifying<br />
national priorities on plant protection and developm<strong>en</strong>t <strong>of</strong> inter-institutional coordination as and<br />
wh<strong>en</strong> required for issues related to plant protection.<br />
As a result <strong>of</strong> regular and consist<strong>en</strong>t involvem<strong>en</strong>t in plant protection activities, no significant<br />
pest outbreaks in major crops were repo<strong>rt</strong>ed during <strong>th</strong>e period under review. Yet, plant protection<br />
activities were conc<strong>en</strong>trated on a number <strong>of</strong> per<strong>en</strong>nial pest problems in order to contain or manage<br />
<strong>th</strong>em to avoid serious economic repercussions.<br />
Z ygograma bicolorata, a promising biocontrol ag<strong>en</strong>t was airlifted from Bangalore, India to<br />
initiate a biocontrol programme for <strong>th</strong>e ali<strong>en</strong> invasive weed, Pa<strong>rt</strong>h<strong>en</strong>ium hysterophorus. Control <strong>of</strong><br />
noxious aquatic weeds received considerable mom<strong>en</strong>tum. A c<strong>en</strong>tral rearing unit for multiplication<br />
<strong>of</strong> Cy<strong>rt</strong>obagous salviniae, <strong>th</strong>e effective biocontrol ag<strong>en</strong>t <strong>of</strong> salvinia, was established. Neochetina<br />
bruchi, an effective biocontrol ag<strong>en</strong>t for water hyacin<strong>th</strong>, was brought in from Thailand for mass<br />
rearing and subsequ<strong>en</strong>tly released into aquatic habitats. Meanwhile, <strong>th</strong>e alligator weed (Alternan<strong>th</strong>era<br />
philoxeroides) and <strong>th</strong>e giant mimosa (Mimosa pigra), which were considered as rec<strong>en</strong>tly introduced<br />
invasive species, were gradually invading into new habitats.<br />
An outbreak <strong>of</strong> vegetable leaf minor, Liriomyza huidobr<strong>en</strong>sis, repo<strong>rt</strong>ed several years back,<br />
was successfully brought under control <strong>th</strong>rough <strong>th</strong>e introduction <strong>of</strong> <strong>th</strong>e exotic biocontrol ag<strong>en</strong>t<br />
Diglyphus isaea coupled wi<strong>th</strong> neem-based pesticides.<br />
Broad-scale and in-dep<strong>th</strong> studies on <strong>th</strong>e impact <strong>of</strong> community IPM in rice revealed <strong>th</strong>at <strong>th</strong>e<br />
programme returned very high divid<strong>en</strong>ds in terms <strong>of</strong> bo<strong>th</strong> yield and income wi<strong>th</strong> parallel reduction<br />
in insecticide use. The investm<strong>en</strong>t incurred for training could be recovered sev<strong>en</strong>-fold wi<strong>th</strong>in<br />
a single season.<br />
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