Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 19 March 2025
With the onset of dry conditions and low humidity — favourable for pest infestation — the Department of Agriculture, Diglipur, has ramped up efforts to safeguard crops by conducting field visits and raising awareness among farmers. The department is promoting prophylactic and control measures, including the application of neem-based insecticides and the installation of yellow sticky traps at a rate of 15 traps per hectare. Farmers have been advised to continuously monitor their fields for pest activity and the presence of natural predators.
Though the infestation of Rugose Spiralling Whitefly (RSW) has been detected only in a few pockets of Khudirampur and Kalighat villages, the department has taken prompt action considering the conducive climatic conditions. RSW, a pest known to affect coconut palms, arecanut, and banana crops, has the potential to spread rapidly if not managed in time.
As part of its Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy, the department recently sprayed Azadirachtin 0.3% EC on coconut and arecanut crops in the fields of Mr. Ram Uraon and Mr. Purna Kerketta in Kalighat village, Ward No. 4. The process was conducted in the presence of the Assistant Director (Agriculture), Agriculture Extension Staff, Mr. Anusudan Mistry, and local farmers. Awareness was also created among 10 nearby farmers.
A similar spraying exercise was carried out on March 12 in the field of Mr. Mukesh Kumar Roy of Khudirampur village, Ward No. 2, in the presence of Mr. Madhusudan Dutta, Farmers’ Friend, Ms. Kalyani Bairagi, PRI Member, and 15 local farmers.
The Department of Agriculture remains committed to supporting farmers through awareness campaigns and training programs to ensure effective pest management, minimize crop losses, and promote sustainable agricultural practices.
This initiative is part of a coordinated effort involving Agriculture Extension staff and PRI members to manage the pest before it spreads further. Farmers have been urged to cooperate with the Agriculture teams and promptly report any signs of infestation to the nearest Agriculture Sub Depot (I/C), Agriculture Extension Functionaries, PRIs, Zonal Officer, or by calling the Kisan Call Centre at 03192-243434 or 1800-345-1145 on all working days. (Story Based on PR)