National Plant Protection Centre

Announcement

The National Plant Protection Centre is pleased to announce the finalized contract for the Supply of Electric fence energizers and accessories for the fiscal year 2025-2026.

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Thank you for your continued support and collaboration.

— National Plant Protection Centre

On this most auspicious day, the National Plant Protection Centre offers our heartfelt prayers and deepest gratitude to His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck. We pray for His Majesty’s continued good health, long life, and everlasting happiness. May His Majesty’s wisdom, compassion, and far-sighted vision continue to guide the people of Bhutan towards unity, peace, and prosperity.

We remain ever grateful for His Majesty’s immeasurable service to the Tsa-Wa-Sum and for laying the noble foundation of Gross National Happiness, which continues to inspire and shape our nation’s path.

May the blessings of the Triple Gem and our Guardian Deities forever protect and strengthen His Majesty.

Long live our beloved Fourth Druk Gyalpo.

Photo credit: © Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Bhutan

𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟏𝟕𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐣𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐉𝐢𝐠𝐦𝐞 𝐊𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐚𝐫 𝐍𝐚𝐦𝐠𝐲𝐞𝐥 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐜𝐤
On the joyous occasion of the 17th Coronation Anniversary of His Majesty the King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the National Plant Protection Centre would like to join the nation in offering our sincere prayers for His Majesty’s long life, good health and eternal happiness. On this solemn occasion, we would also like to rededicate ourselves in service of the Tsa-Wa-Sum and pledge to work with utmost loyalty, integrity and sincerity towards achieving our collective vision of a happier and prosperous Bhutan.

PELDEN DRUKPA GYALO.

Diamondback Moth Management Training at Pangbisa, Lungnyi Gewog

📅 Held on 20th October 2025

A Diamondback Moth (DBM) management training was conducted yesterday at Pangbisa, Lungnyi Gewog, for local cole crop growers, who have been facing persistent DBM problems for the past three years.

The session included a presentation on the pest's biology, life cycle, and management practices, followed by an interactive discussion on the safe and responsible use of pesticides.

Farmers actively participated and shared their field experiences, reflecting their strong commitment to improving pest management and ensuring sustainable vegetable production in the community.

𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣 𝙎𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝘼𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙮𝙨𝙞𝙨 & 𝙑𝙞𝙨𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝘼𝙧𝙘𝙂𝙄𝙎

A two-day training program on Spatial Analysis and Visualization through ArcGIS is currently underway at the National Plant Protection Centre (NPPC) under the Department of Agriculture. The training is being facilitated by Mr. Chimi Rinzin, from the National Centre for Organic Agriculture (NCOA). The primary objective of this training is to enhance the participants understanding of the fundamental concept and practical applications of Geographic Information System (GIS), with a specific focus on its role in Agricultural Research, Pest Surveillance, and Plant Protection. Participants include technical staff from various Programs within the NPPC, including the Entomology Program, Pathology Program, W**d Science Program, Pest Surveillance Program and Vertebrate Pest Management Program.

The main objective of the training is to familiarize NPPC staff with the basic concept and practical tools of GIS in agricultural research. The learning objectives includes:

1. 𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘐𝘚.
2. 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦, 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘻𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘈𝘳𝘤𝘎𝘐𝘚.
3. 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘮𝘢𝘱𝘴.
4. 𝘈𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘎𝘐𝘚 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘴.
By the end of the training, participants are expected to be able to independently create and analyze GIS maps relevant to their respective Programs. The two-day Spatial Analysis and Visualization through ArcGIS training at the National Plant Protection Centre marks an important step toward strengthening the technical capacity of Plant Protection Officers.

Happy Blessed Rainy Day 🌧️

From all of us at NPPC—cherish family time and let a cleansing bath wash away your sins, bringing you peace and joy.

The On the joyous occasion of the 2nd Birth Anniversary of Her Royal Highness Gyalsem Sonam Yangden Wangchuck, the National Plant Protection Centre joins the nation in offering our heartfelt felicitations and prayers for Her Royal Highness’s good health, long life, and boundless happiness. We also offer our humble prayers for the everlasting well-being of the Wangchuck Dynasty and the continued peace and prosperity of our Kingdom under the golden reign of His Majesty The King.
PELDEN DRUKPA LHA GYALO

Egg Parasitoids of Fall Armyworm

As part of the AFACI PMP+ project, the Biocontrol Program team is conducting a test to study egg parasitoids of the fall armyworm in maize. The team collected Corcyra cephalonica moths, incubated them for egg-laying, then sieved, UV-treated, and mounted the eggs on Trichocards. These were placed in the maize field to attract egg parasitoids.

The long-term vision aims to mass-produce and release parasitized Corcyra eggs in maize fields to naturally suppress fall armyworm populations. The broader vision is to establish a sustainable, biological control-based pest management system.

The National Plant Protection Centre is honored to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Tshelthrim Zangpo, Deputy Chief Plant Protection Officer for being awarded the prestigious “2024 Outstanding Principal Investigator” award. This recognition celebrates his exemplary leadership in the Asia regional project on Fall Army Worm (FAW) and Brown Plant Hopper (BPH) diagnostics, monitoring, and surveillance.

The distinguished accolade was presented at the 2025 AFACI Project Evaluation Workshop held in Bali, Indonesia, where representatives from ten participating countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam) gathered to share their progress, insights and review of the ongoing activities.

The Asian Food and Agriculture Cooperation Initiative (AFACI) is a respected intergovernmental and multilateral platform dedicated to enhancing food production, promoting sustainable agriculture, and advancing agricultural extension services across Asia through the exchange of knowledge and technology. Currently, AFACI comprises of 17 member countries.

We wholeheartedly salute Mr. Zangpo’s outstanding contributions to advancing agricultural research and regional collaboration. His work not only sets a remarkable example for all but also calls for continued cooperation and dedication to achieve even greater success, ultimately contributing to food production and enhancing the livelihood of our rural farmers. Trashi Delek to Mr. Tshelthrim for his exemplary leadership in spearheading this program and activities, and heartfelt appreciation to the entire team of the Entomology Program at NPPC and the Regional Plant Protection Officers for their teamwork and dedication.

Wishing our friend and colleague Nidup Dorji the very best as he begins a new chapter.

Nidup will be heading to the College of Natural Resources (CNR) for the next two years to pursue further studies. While we will surely miss his presence and contributions here, we are excited to see him take this opportunity to grow both personally and professionally.

May this journey be filled with new learning, meaningful experiences, and success. We look forward to welcoming you back with even more knowledge and ideas to share.

Good luck, Nidup.

Precautionary Advisory on Brown Plant Hopper (BPH) Management

As the paddy cultivation season begins, farmers and extension officers are kindly advised to stay vigilant against the BPH, one of the most destructive pests of rice. BPH can cause severe yield losses by directly sucking plant sap, causing hopper burn, and by transmitting plant viruses. Early detection and proper understanding of the pest are critical to prevent sudden outbreaks. Since BPH populations can build up rapidly under favorable conditions such as continuous rainfall, dense planting, and excessive fertilizer use, it is important to adopt timely monitoring and management practices throughout the cropping period.

To prepare for and manage BPH effectively, we encourage you to watch the following videos published by the ASEAN Action Plan on Fall Armyworm.

1. How to Identify Brown Plant Hopper (BPH): https://youtu.be/Ohr7mqJ_nv4?si=e2GIDM7DduGVH3aH

2. Life Cycle of Brown Plant Hopper:
https://youtu.be/cWi3qkTdLcI?si=rm1y3qZdDo8hF1l2

3. Tips to Manage BPH in Paddy Fields:
https://youtu.be/BYzsGBkFT9c?si=KFp2LXnqgMNwBIBm

Thank you.
Team NPPC