Farmers apprised of Fall Armyworm

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 23

The Agriculture Department has been making farmers aware of attacks by insects on crops. On Thursday, the department organised a workshop in this regard. During the workshop, PAU scientists threw light on the Fall Armyworm insect, which is gregarious in nature.

According to officials, it came to light for the first time in the district around August last year. It is quite destructive for the crop, they added. “It can fly long and it feeds mostly on maize,” the officials added.

Recently, the department had also issued an advisory on locusts attack and asked the farmers not to worry about it. As swarms of locusts had attacked crops in Rajasthan, farmers in Punjab were tense that their crops would get damaged if they reached the state.

Agriculture Department officials had said rumours were being spread through social media in Punjab.

The department had appealed to farmers that there was no need to worry as 15 experts had been working to monitor the situation.

“A locust has a lifespan of 50 to 60 days. The insect has three stages — egg, nymph and adult. They also fly in gregarious way and thus, destroy the vegetation,” an official said.