Rep o rt of th e tw en - Rotterdam Convention

through the diversification of training and education programmes for plant quarantine personnel,
etc.
The Rural Development Administration monitored the occurrence of major pests all over the
country by operating 149 monitoring stations of rice and 1 403 observatory posts of rice and major
vegetables, and provided the data for pest control. Also, in order to sustain environment-friendly
agriculture, control techniques using natural enemies for greenhouse pests were provided to farmers.
The Review Standard for the Registration Test Method of Bio-Pesticide and the Registration Application
Document Act was established in April 2005, and encouraged the development and registration of
low-toxic, non-residual, environment-friendly bio-pesticides such as the natural extracts and sex
pheromone.
In relation to the International Cooperation in Plant Protection Development Project, the Rural
Development Administration is carrying out the following two projects:
i. “UNDP/Environment-Friendly Agriculture Project (2003-2007)” aimed at the
development of “Environment-Friendly and Sustainable Farming” and its settlement in
the country.
ii. “Cooperation Project on Forecasting of Rice Insect Pest (2001-2005)” aimed at the
establishment of the early-detection-system against brown plant hopper (Nilaparvata
lugens) through the bilateral cooperation between the Republic of Korea and the
People’s Republic of China.
3.17 Sri Lanka
Inter-institutional cooperation among scientists and fostering of plant protection activities in
the National Agricultural Research System (NARS) were strengthened through establishment of the
National Committee on Plant Protection. This committee had been given the mandate of identifying
national priorities on plant protection and development of inter-institutional coordination as and
when required for issues related to plant protection.
As a result of regular and consistent involvement in plant protection activities, no significant
pest outbreaks in major crops were reported during the period under review. Yet, plant protection
activities were concentrated on a number of perennial pest problems in order to contain or manage
them to avoid serious economic repercussions.
Z ygograma bicolorata, a promising biocontrol agent was airlifted from Bangalore, India to
initiate a biocontrol programme for the alien invasive weed, Parthenium hysterophorus. Control of
noxious aquatic weeds received considerable momentum. A central rearing unit for multiplication
of Cyrtobagous salviniae, the effective biocontrol agent of salvinia, was established. Neochetina
bruchi, an effective biocontrol agent for water hyacinth, was brought in from Thailand for mass
rearing and subsequently released into aquatic habitats. Meanwhile, the alligator weed (Alternanthera
philoxeroides) and the giant mimosa (Mimosa pigra), which were considered as recently introduced
invasive species, were gradually invading into new habitats.
An outbreak of vegetable leaf minor, Liriomyza huidobrensis, reported several years back,
was successfully brought under control through the introduction of the exotic biocontrol agent
Diglyphus isaea coupled with neem-based pesticides.
Broad-scale and in-depth studies on the impact of community IPM in rice revealed that the
programme returned very high dividends in terms of both yield and income with parallel reduction
in insecticide use. The investment incurred for training could be recovered seven-fold within
a single season.
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