National Lac Insect Day Celebrated at Rajasthan College of Agriculture
Awareness Week Focuses on Lac Insect Conservation and Utility
Udaipur : The Department of Entomology at Rajasthan College of Agriculture, MPUAT, Udaipur, celebrated the 4th National Lac Insect Day under the ICAR-sponsored Network Project on Genetic Conservation of Lac Insects. The event featured a one-day Student Interaction and Training Workshop on Lac Resource Production, attended by more than 125 undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral students from the Faculty of Agriculture.
Dr. Hemant Swami, Project Officer, provided an overview of the lac insect life cycle, host plants, methods of lac cultivation, and ways in which farmers can increase income through lac farming. He emphasized the importance of genetic conservation in sustaining the lac industry.
During the workshop, Dr. M.K. Mehla, Professor of Entomology, explained the diverse industrial applications of lac and its by-products such as resin, wax, and dye. These applications span across cosmetics, food, pharmaceuticals, perfumes, varnishes, paints, polishes, adhesives, jewelry, and textile dyes. He also discussed advanced techniques for scientific cultivation of lac insects on various host plants.
The event marked the beginning of the Productive Insect Conservation Week (May 16–22, 2025). On this occasion, Dr. Amit Trivedi, Zonal Director of Research, Dr. Virendra Singh, Professor of Horticulture, and Dr. Ramesh Babu, Head of the Entomology Department, highlighted the critical role of productive insects in biodiversity conservation, including their contributions as pollinators, decomposers, and biological control agents.
The speakers stressed the need to revive lac farming, particularly in regions where it has been abandoned or where habitats have degraded, leading to the extinction of lac insects and associated fauna.
As part of the celebration, essay and quiz competitions on insects were held, and certificates were distributed to the winners. Throughout the week, various awareness activities such as poster-making and speech competitions will be organized for UG and PG students to foster understanding of lac insect conservation and promote eco-friendly agricultural practices.
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