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Eco-Friendly Termite Management in Tropical Conditions

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Termites and Sustainable Management

Part of the book series: Sustainability in Plant and Crop Protection ((SUPP))

Abstract

Being important pests of temperate and tropical regions, termites are responsible for massive losses to agricultural crops and wooden structures. Chemical control is the most popular and effective method of management. However, the deleterious effect of continuous usage of chemical termiticides is of serious concern, and researchers throughout the world are actually searching for alternative approaches. This chapter encompasses the various non-chemical strategies developed so far. Physical methods of control are also discussed. Focus has been given on biological means of management with major emphasis drawn on fungi, bacteria, nematodes and plant-derived natural products (botanicals). Botanical pesticides are sustainable, biodegradable and easily available, with no effect on nontarget species, and do not cause pest resistance. Furthermore, the bioactive components present in the botanicals can be isolated, characterized, formulated and used as commercial termiticides.

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  1. Center for Rural Development and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India

    Monica Verma, Sharad Verma & Satyawati Sharma

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    Md. Aslam Khan

  2. Department of Zoology, Section of Nematology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Wasim Ahmad

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Verma, M., Verma, S., Sharma, S. (2018). Eco-Friendly Termite Management in Tropical Conditions. In: Khan, M., Ahmad, W. (eds) Termites and Sustainable Management. Sustainability in Plant and Crop Protection. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68726-1_6

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