author(s)
RK Gupta, Kamlesh Bali and Suheel Ahmad Ganai

abstract
Surveys were conducted in various districts of Jammu region namely, Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Udhampur, Reasi and Rajouri, for searching sample lac insect (Keria sp.; Kerriidae: Hemiptera) on naturally infected trees of Ber (Zizyphus mauritiana) during June to December, 2014 to 2017. It was found that natural occurrence is highly threatened through human interventions, inclining temperature during summer coupled with the occurrence of parasitoids and predators. Eleven strains of Rangeeni insects were collected and maintained insitu and exsitu. The density of settlement of lac insect ranged between 48.3 to 162.0 no. of crawlers/cm2 in Rangeeni strain on Flamengia. The range of resin output per cell as 5.60-8.15 mg for summer crop of Rangeeni strain. Conservation initiatives enhanced the frequency of natural occurrence of lac insect in the region with 13.5 per cent increased. For in situ conservation, a gene bank was established wherein sufficient quantity of natural lac was multiplied on the bushy host and distributed on the 475 host plants for four small scale demonstrations. The mean yield per tree on ber was 12.8 kg (brood lac) and 1.86 kg mature lac. On the basis of these trials it was concluded that cultivation of lac has high potential for sustaining livelihood for both men and women particularly in the off-agricultural season in this lac growing regions of the country.