Visit few farms in your area and study the agricultural loss due to insects or pests in the agricultural practices in recent years. Make a table documenting the name of crop, type of discase, monitory losses incurred, causes of problem according to the farmer. – Maharashtra State Board Class 12 Environmental Studies (EVS) project topic and guidance.
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Project 17 : Visit few farms in your area and study the agricultural loss due to insects or pests in the agricultural practices in recent years. Make a table documenting the name of crop, type of discase, monitory losses incurred, causes of problem according to the farmer. is an officially approved project topic in the Maharashtra State Board Class 12 Environmental Studies and Water Security curriculum. This comprehensive study equips students with practical field methodologies, ecological analysis, and empirical data required for securing an 'A' grade in school/junior college internal assessments.
Environmental Education and Water Security emphasizes sustainable development through scientific investigation. The practical documentation provided below covers the core findings, observations, and policy measures needed for comprehensive academic evaluation.
Aim of the Study: To survey agricultural farms in the locality, document major insect pest outbreaks and crop diseases in recent years, calculate monetary losses per acre, and analyze farmer perceptions of pest resistance.
Field visits across five agricultural plots, physical examination of pest-damaged leaves, pods, and fruits, semi-structured interviews with 5 farmers, and calculating economic loss matrices.
This scientific investigation conforms strictly to Maharashtra State Board practical guidelines, incorporating primary survey data, empirical observations, and practical field documentation.
The following empirical observation matrix demonstrates standard data collection parameters, field measurements, and recorded outcomes for this project study:
| Crop Name & Acreage | Insect Pest / Disease Name | Symptoms of Damage Observed | Causes Reported by Farmer | Monetary Loss (Per Acre) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bt-Cotton (3 Acres) | Pink Bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella) | Larvae bore into green bolls; stained lint and dropped immature buds. | Pest developed resistance to Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab toxins in Bt-cotton; late sowing. | Rs. 22,500 / acre (50% yield loss) |
| Soybean (4 Acres) | Spodoptera litura (Tobacco Caterpillar) & Stem Fly | Skeletonized leaves, bored stems, withered yellow plants. | Unseasonal monsoon dry spells favored rapid caterpillar hatching cycles. | Rs. 14,800 / acre (38% yield loss) |
| Tomato (2 Acres) | Pinworm (Tuta absoluta) & Fruit Borer | Mined leaf tunnels, black entry holes in fruits, secondary fruit rot. | Excessive chemical spraying killed all natural parasitoid wasps. | Rs. 38,000 / acre (65% yield loss) |
| Sugarcane (5 Acres) | White Grub (Holotrichia serrata) | Roots severed underground; entire cane stools turn yellow and lodge over. | Over-reliance on synthetic fertilizers; zero application of neem cake. | Rs. 26,000 / acre (32% yield loss) |
| Pomegranate (2.5 Acres) | Bacterial Blight (Xanthomonas / Telya) | Oily black spots on leaves and cracking of developing fruits. | Warm humid weather and contaminated planting material. | Rs. 45,000 / acre (70% crop rejection) |
The field study and investigation of Project 17 focuses on the following key environmental observations and highlights:
A comprehensive analysis of Project 17 reveals crucial insights regarding agricultural entomology and local ecological resilience. By examining empirical data collected in the field, students understand the direct impact of human activity on ecosystems and learn practical conservation strategies applicable to Maharashtra's local environment.
Chemical pesticides provide only short-term illusions of control while creating resistant super-pests and bankrupting farmers. Transitioning to Integrated Pest Management (IPM) restores natural predators, cuts costs, and protects food from poisonous chemical residues.
To secure full marks (30/30) in your internal project evaluation, structure your handwritten project file in the following official order:
A cycle where farmers spray chemical pesticides, killing both pests and predators; the pest develops resistance, requiring more frequent and toxic chemical applications at escalating costs.
An ecosystem-based strategy that focuses on long-term prevention of pests through a combination of biological control, habitat manipulation, cultural practices, and resistant varieties.
It uses synthesized female insect sex hormones to lure and trap male moths, preventing mating and serving as an early indicator of pest population levels.
Due to the continuous monoculture of Bt-cotton without planting required non-Bt refuge crops, allowing naturally resistant mutant moths to survive and breed.
Beneficial microscopic Trichogramma wasps that lay their eggs inside pest caterpillar eggs, destroying the pest before it ever hatches.