With the scorching summer drying up many varieties of long-term crop, the lack of moisture has also facilitated the growth of pests and diseases in a number of crop like rice, groundnut, sugarcane and cotton.
The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has advised farmers to immediately take remedial measures by spraying a mix of organic and mild chemical pesticides to ensure pests are controlled at the initial stage.
The TNAU issued an advisory asking farmers with long-term crops to start checking their plantations for pests and diseases. Leaf folder and stem borer, a form of moth and insect larvae, were noticed in rice plantations in Coimbatore, Erode, Dharmapuri, Karur, Thiruvallur, Pudukottai and Tirunelveli districts, said the advisory. "Farmers are advised to set up light traps to monitor and kill adult months. If further required, farmers can spray neem seed kernel extract or cartap hydrochloride or chlorpyrifos for this problem," it said.
In all rice growing districts in the state, brown spot incidence was also noticed. "Hence, farmers are advised to spray Mancozeb two to three times at 10 to 15 day intervals based on the intensity of disease," said the advisory.
The leafminer incidence was also sporadically recorded in groundnut crops planted in Coimbatore, Erode, Tirunelveli, Ramanthapuram, Pudukottai and Dharmapuri districts. "Farmers are advised to monitor the insect using light traps. If needed, farmers can spray some neem seed kernel extract," said the advisory.
The internode borer incidence was also recorded in sugarcane plantations across Coimbatore and Erode. "Farmers are advised to release the egg parasitoid "Trichogramma". Farmers were also advised to set up yellow sticky traps to monitor the pest population and again spray neem seed kernel extract.
The university also says there is a strong possibility of sucking pests like papaya mealybug, spiralling whitefly, woolly aphids in pulses, hoppers and mealybugs in cotton attacking agricultural and horticultural crops due to the continuous prevailing drought. "If any incidence is noted, farmers are requested to release parasitoids for managing this pest," said the advisory.
The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has advised farmers to immediately take remedial measures by spraying a mix of organic and mild chemical pesticides to ensure pests are controlled at the initial stage.
The TNAU issued an advisory asking farmers with long-term crops to start checking their plantations for pests and diseases. Leaf folder and stem borer, a form of moth and insect larvae, were noticed in rice plantations in Coimbatore, Erode, Dharmapuri, Karur, Thiruvallur, Pudukottai and Tirunelveli districts, said the advisory. "Farmers are advised to set up light traps to monitor and kill adult months. If further required, farmers can spray neem seed kernel extract or cartap hydrochloride or chlorpyrifos for this problem," it said.
In all rice growing districts in the state, brown spot incidence was also noticed. "Hence, farmers are advised to spray Mancozeb two to three times at 10 to 15 day intervals based on the intensity of disease," said the advisory.
The leafminer incidence was also sporadically recorded in groundnut crops planted in Coimbatore, Erode, Tirunelveli, Ramanthapuram, Pudukottai and Dharmapuri districts. "Farmers are advised to monitor the insect using light traps. If needed, farmers can spray some neem seed kernel extract," said the advisory.
The internode borer incidence was also recorded in sugarcane plantations across Coimbatore and Erode. "Farmers are advised to release the egg parasitoid "Trichogramma". Farmers were also advised to set up yellow sticky traps to monitor the pest population and again spray neem seed kernel extract.
The university also says there is a strong possibility of sucking pests like papaya mealybug, spiralling whitefly, woolly aphids in pulses, hoppers and mealybugs in cotton attacking agricultural and horticultural crops due to the continuous prevailing drought. "If any incidence is noted, farmers are requested to release parasitoids for managing this pest," said the advisory.