Abstract

Seven years ago, when the Plant Protection Service was inaugurated in South India in 1949, there was a feeling of pessimism in the minds of the public with regard to its success. It was a time when the ryots were already fed up with methods of control like hand- picking, netting, pruning and the slow-acting pesticides like tobacco- decoction fish-oil soap etc. The introduction of quick-acting chemicals like, BHC, DDT, Zine phosphide and the intensive propaganda and demonstration of pest control operations organised by the Plant Protec- tion staff, dispelled this idea and the ryots are now convinced that Plant Protection service is quite indispensible for stepping up crop-production. Indeed, we have now reached a stage when our services are largely sought after and appreciated instead of our services being reluctantly accepted as before. The ryots have now become pesticide-minded and they are very particular in preventing the incidence of pests, rather than controlling them after their appearance.

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