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| Department of Entomology |
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| Head |
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Dr. R. Swaminathan |
| Contact |
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0294-2418866 |
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| Department at a glance |
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The Department of Agricultural Zoology and Entomology at the Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Presently under Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture & Technology, Udaipur, has been serving the University since the very beginning in July 1955 when the College opened. The departmental activities initially covered teaching undergraduate courses as per curriculum including Zoology and Entomology. Besides, two minor courses: (1) Plant Protection and (2) Storage Entomology were offered by the Department for postgraduate Students of Agronomy, Extension and Plant Breeding. Later, in the year 1965, the Master's Degree Programme began in Entomology. The Doctoral Degree Programme through course work was initiated in 1970.
Integration of teaching with research in the Department took place in 1961 when the first ICAR and Government of Rajasthan sponsored Project on Insect Pests of Forage and Pastures was initiated with Dr. B.K. Srivastava as the first Principal Investigator that was later on taken up by Dr. K.S. Kushwaha. Thereafter, the Project PL - 480 with Dr. B.P. Srivastava as the Principal Investigator came into being. This Project was in fact the basis for the initiation of the Doctoral Degree Programme in the Department Subsequently, many Ad-hoc Research Projects were successfully run in the Department. Consequently, the Department developed a Toxicology and Pesticide Residue Laboratory that acclaimed national repute. Gradually, the departmental research activities covered aspects of Taxonomy, Toxicology, Economic Entomology, Storage Entomology and Sericulture. The first ever constituted ICAR - "Chairs of Excellence" did not pass out without a reward to the Department. It was in 1980 that Dr. K.S. Kushwaha was honoured as a Professor of Eminence and an ICAR sponsored Ad-hoc Project on Construction of Life Tables for major insect pests was implemented. The Department has also run many projects funded by private agencies.
Facilities:
The Department of Agricultural Zoology and Entomology has moderately furnished undergraduate and postgraduate laboratories to meet out the requirements of teaching as per curricula. The Department has a team of qualified teaching and research staff. For postgraduate and doctoral studies the Department has fairly well equipped Toxicology Laboratory, Residue Analysis Laboratory and Bio-control Laboratory. The Department has a Museum, recently named as, "Dr. K. S. Kushwaha Keet Sangrahalaya", that has an identified collection of insect pests of agricultural importance, other preserved insects, arthropods, and many invertebrate and vertebrate specimens to cater to the needs of teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Entomology and for display to impart training to Government agricultural workers and farmers as well. The ICAR sponsored All India Coordinated Projects: one on Sorghum and another on Maize are in progress. Besides, there are ICAR (Lac Project, Technology Mission on Cotton, IPM on gram pod borer, Quality fibre in cotton and IPM in spice crope) and Private Funded Projects in hand. These Projects have been enriching the Department from time to time besides helping smooth conduct of Student Research and the inadequately financed Non-Plan Research.
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