Paddy under pest attack in Malwa

Kulwinder Sandhu

Tribune News Service

Moga, October 3

The recent increase in temperature has brought paddy and basmati varieties under the attack of leaf folder pests and plant hoppers in Moga, Ferozepur, Faridkot, Muktsar, Barnala, Sangrur, Bathinda, Ludhiana and other districts of the Malwa belt.

The pest attack took place at an unexpected time when the harvesting season has already begun for the early-sowing varieties of paddy. Fearing losses, there were reports of some farmers going for “irrational” spray of pesticides to save their crop.

Dr Jasbir Singh Bains, director, Agriculture Department, while admitting that there were reports of pest attack on paddy in some areas, said farmers need not worry because pest infestations were common under such weather conditions. Ruling out the possibility of an epidemic, he said there was nothing to worry about it. “It happens routinely almost every year. Farmers must go in for the advice of agriculture scientists before spraying pesticides,” he said.

Dr Gurdial Singh, deputy director, Agriculture Department, said farmers must spray ‘Buprofezin’, ‘Confidor’ and other pesticides, which were recommended by the State Agriculture University.

Dr Jaswinder Singh Brar, an agriculture scientist, said farmers should not spray ‘Lambda cyhalothrin’ pesticide at this stage because it might raise the chances of sucking pests (hoppers) attack on paddy plants.

Meanwhile, Dalbar Singh, a farmer of Raoke Kalan village, said he had sprayed pesticides after witnessing the leaves of paddy plants turning yellow in his fields.