Maize crop in lower Kangra hit as infestation persists

Nurpur, August 23

Farmers in the lower hills of Kangra district have been struggling against simian and stray cattle menace for several years and a large number of farmers have even given up maize cultivation. But the farmers who are still cultivating maize crop are a harried lot as this year a dreaded insect ‘fall armyworm’ has infested their maize crop. It is expected that around 10 per cent of the standing maize crop is damaged with the attack of the insect.

Expert advice

Insect pupa remains active under the soil which will die with heat or birds eat them. Before sowing, maize seeds should be dipped in the insecticide cyantraniliprole. —Rahul Katoch, Deputy Director Agriculture

Keeping in view the fall armyworm infestation reports in different parts of the district, the Agriculture Department has constituted a district diagnostic team comprising agriculture experts of the department, including CSK Agriculture University, Palampur, and Krishi Vigyan Kendra. This team is visiting the crop fields in the district after getting information of the fall armyworm infestation and sensitising farmers to protect their crops from the insect attack. Official sources in the Agriculture Department told The Tribune that the maize crop was being cultivated in around 54,000 hectares of land in all 15 agriculture blocks in Kangra district.

The insect’s infestation was first reported in the country in Karnataka in 2018, whereas the scientists of CSK Agriculture University had reported the same in Himachal Pradesh in 2019.

Rahul Katoch, Deputy Director Agriculture, Dharamsala, said the insect was a polyphagous insect and multi-fed dependent. He said its lifespan was of 40 to 50 days. “A female insect can lay 800 to 1,000 eggs at a time,” he added.

Katoch said the maize growers should take proactive steps to stop the insect’s infestation in the crop. He said the farmers should resort to deep ploughing their fields before sowing maize crops and leave them open for 4-5 days.

“Insect pupa remains active under the soil which will die with heat or birds eat them. Before sowing, maize seeds should be dipped in the insecticide cyantraniliprole,” he said. He advised the maize growers to spray the insecticide chlorantraniliprole only after the crop was 10 per cent affected with the fall armyworm infestation.

He also advised the farmers to use gloves and masks while applying the spray. He suggested spraying crops in the morning or evening hours. He added that all insecticides were available at subsidised rates at the Agriculture Department’s sale outlets.