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ICAR-NBAIR marks 34th Foundation Day in Bengaluru with a call to cut chemical pesticide use

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ICAR-NBAIR, the National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources, celebrated its 34th Foundation Day at its Yelahanka campus in Bengaluru, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare said on 19 October 2026. Speakers used the occasion to press for biological control of crop pests in place of heavy chemical pesticide use.

ICAR-NBAIR: Guests light the ceremonial lamp at the Foundation Day programme in Bengaluru
Guests light the ceremonial lamp at the Foundation Day programme in Bengaluru Photo: PIB (Government of India, free to use with credit).

Why ICAR-NBAIR is pushing biological control

Chief guest Dr N. K. Krishna Kumar, a former Deputy Director General (Horticulture) of ICAR and a former director of the bureau, said sustainable farming and biological control are key to producing safe, high-quality food that meets international market standards and consumer expectations. He urged farmers and scientists to reduce dependence on chemical pesticides and to adopt biocontrol-based crop protection. Biocontrol uses natural enemies such as predatory insects, parasitoids and microbes to keep pest numbers down. The bureau traces its roots to the Project Directorate of Biological Control, set up in Bengaluru on 19 October 1993. It was upgraded in 2009 as the National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Insects and took its present name in 2014, according to the bureau’s review reports. It is one of the institutes of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the country’s apex body for farm research and education.

Key Facts

  • Event: 34th Foundation Day
  • Venue: ICAR-NBAIR, Yelahanka, Bengaluru
  • Chief guest: Dr N. K. Krishna Kumar
  • Farmers: 100, from Chikkaballapur and Kolar
  • Inputs given under DAPSC

Pesticide residue and market rejections

Krishna Kumar warned that pesticide residue raises the risk of farm produce being rejected in domestic and international markets, the release said. Lower residue levels make it easier for growers to meet buyers’ standards and protect their earnings. Director Dr T. Venkatesan welcomed the gathering and outlined the bureau’s achievements, its technology advances and its work on farmer-friendly biocontrol tools. Former directors Dr Chandish R. Ballal and Dr Abraham Verghese, along with retired senior staff, also attended.

Participants at the Foundation Day programme on the Yelahanka campus
Participants at the Foundation Day programme on the Yelahanka campus Photo: PIB (Government of India, free to use with credit).

Yelahanka event reaches 100 farmers

The programme, the ministry said, highlighted the importance of biological control and sustainable pest management. A total of 100 farmers from the Chikkaballapur and Kolar districts of Karnataka took part. Publications were released, and farm and biocontrol inputs were handed out to farmers under the Development Action Plan for Scheduled Castes (DAPSC). An exhibition showed the bureau’s biocontrol technologies and agricultural products, and a farmers’ interaction session allowed an exchange of ideas on sustainable pest management. The ministry said the celebration reaffirmed the bureau’s commitment to advancing biological control, strengthening farmer outreach and promoting environmentally sustainable crop protection to ensure safe food production and better farm livelihoods. For growers, the practical message from Yelahanka was that fewer chemical sprays and more natural pest control can protect both their crops and the price their produce fetches.

Why It Matters: Residue limits decide whether Indian fruit, vegetables and spices are accepted by buyers at home and abroad. Wider use of biocontrol can cut costs for farmers and protect export earnings.

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Source: PIB Bengaluru (Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare), 19 Oct 2026 · ICAR-NBAIR

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