Entomology

Department of Entomology started in the year 1945 with the college, headed by by Sri V. Tirumala Rao. Later, RRU of Entomology was started in 1953, and State Entomologist Sri V. Tirumala Rao was designated as “Entomologist and Professor of Entomology” and was the in-charge for both research and teaching. With formation of Andhra Pradesh in 1956, Head Quarters of Entomologist was shifted to Hyderabad, leaving a RRU with an Assistant Entomologist at Bapatla for research and entire teaching unit remained intact. In the year 1964, with the formation of Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University, the staffing pattern was changed to one Associate Professor, two Assistant Professors of Entomology and one Assistant Professor of Zoology. In the year 1970, the adaptive research project for controlling pests and diseases of important crops in this region was started in collaboration with the KSU-USAID, with an objective to demonstrate in ryot’s fields the latest results of research on crop pests and diseases and thereby to minimize the gap between laboratory findings and their field adaptation.

The Masters degree in Agricultural Entomology was started in 1970. The Department has started Entomology Club in 1971. The Doctoral Degree Programme was started in 1993. The staff pattern was changed due to introduction of PG Courses, and the over the period the Department research and infrastructural facilities were strengthened for the benefit of students to promote effective learning and productive research. A total of 372 students successfully complete their Masters degree and 27 for their Doctoral degree. Presently, the department has sanctioned strength of one Professor, One Associate Professor and six Assistant Professors.

The repository of insect specimens in the department are very special, unique and one of its kind in India. Some of these specimens are as old as collected in 1950s. The department has modern classrooms, insect rearing and research laboratory, microscopes, Camera Lucida, Spectrophotometer, BOD incubators, Centrifuge, Autoclave, Microphotography, rotary vacuum evaporator, Electrophorosis, Laminar Airflow Chamber, Chromatography, Potters spray tower etc., During last 75 years, more than 1000 research papers were published in peer reviewed journals, in addition to contribution in books and book chapters, compilations etc.