The facility for pest diagnosis and farmer advisories housed at The Division of Crop Protection, ICAR-IISR, Kozhikode aims to identify important insect pest, diseases and nematodes of major spice crops through various approaches based on which recommendations are provided to the farming community for timely management of the diseases. The preliminary diagnosis based on symptomatology and subsequent identification of the causal agents are carried out through isolation, culturing and morphological as well as molecular analyses. The dedicated facilities include the plant pathology and molecular laboratories equipped with various equipments to facilitate the pathogen detection process. Based on the initial diagnosis and laboratory analyses, advisories are provided to the farmers to manage the diseases adopting integrated management strategies. The division is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment’s such as Stereo zoom microscope, PCR machines, Western blot, ELISA reader, Centrifuge, Gel electrophoresis and Gel documentation unit etc.
