Pink Bollworm (PBW)
Cotton farmers in North India may shift to paddy due to severe PBW infestation.
- Commonly occur in – Cotton crops.
- PBW larvae burrow into developing fruits (bolls) of cotton plants, and damage affects both weight and quality of harvested bolls.
- Issue – Pink bollworms have developed resistance to genetically modified pest-resistant Bt cotton over time.
- Management Strategies –
- Adoption of highly productive short-duration hybrids that would escape PBW.
- Crop rotation to break lifecycle of PBW.
- PB Knot technology disrupts mating prospects of pest.
Chagas Disease
World Chagas Disease Day was observed by World Health Organisation on April 14.
- Chagas Disease – Life-threatening illness caused by protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi.
- Found mainly in – Latin American countries, where it is mostly vector-borne.
- Transmitted by – Triatomine bug (vector-borne), and orally (food-borne), during pregnancy or birth (congenital), through blood/blood products, organ transplantation.
- Often called – “Silent disease” because of no symptoms until damage is too advanced to be reversed.
- Disease is clinically curable if treatment is initiated at early stage
Exercise Dustlik
Exercise Dustlik 2024 conducted.
- Joint military exercise between Indian and Uzbekistan Army, conducted every year.
Gray Slender Loris
Gray slender Loris rescued in North Goa.
- Found in – India and Sri Lanka.
- Habitats – Tropical rainforests, scrub forests, semi-evergreen forests, swamps.
- Characteristics –
- Nocturnal animal
- Lean and lanky appearance, with longer and slender limbs, larger ears, pointed snout and eyes circled with black or dark brown.
- Slow movers and foragers, they nest near large insect colonies for easy meals.
- They are Viviparous (producing living young instead of eggs).
- IUCN Status – Near Threatened.
Bohag/Rongali Bihu
Assam celebrates Rongali Bihu.
- Celebrated in – Middle of April
- It marks the beginning of Assamese New Year and onset of spring.
- Other 2 Bihu festivals in Assam – Kati Bihu and Magh Bihu are celebrated in October and January, respectively.
- Similar festival in other states – Baisakhi (Punjab), Puthandu (Tamil Nadu), Vishu (Kerala), and Pohela Baisakh (West Bengal)