Major Insect pests Menace to Dominant Multipurpose Trees of Central India: status and control measures

Abstract

Valuable forest of Madhya Pradesh occupies 84.92 million ha with geographical area of 307.46 million ha. Due to a very dense human and cattle population, there is fairly intense biotic pressure on the forests, mainly in the form of illicit grazing and lopping. Sal forests occupied the northern portion of the state whereas, teak forests occur in the southern part. The boundary between sal and teak also passes through parts of this zone (ecotone) thus making it ecologically more important. These two important species are be being damaged by defoliator (Hyblaeapuera) and by skeletonizer(Eutectonamacharalis) very frequently. Similarly, sal heartwood borer (Hoplocerambyxspinicomis) seriously damaging the Shorearobustaas experienced recently in the state. The associated genera of sal and teak are Diospyros, Terminalia, Acacia, Butea and Zizyphuswhich abundantly occur in M.P. Forest.