Solan: Committee constituted to assist farmers in controlling pest spread in maize crop

To control the possible outbreak of fall armyworm in maize crop in Solan district, a pest control committee has been constituted at the district and block level to assist farmers in monitoring and controlling the insect pest.

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Originally from South America, the fall armyworm entered Karnataka via African countries a few years ago. Elongated papery windows spreading all over leaves on a plant appear when the pest attacks maize crop. This symptom is caused by the larvae of the worm.

Dr Arun Kumar, District Agriculture Officer, Solan; Dr Anurag Sharma, pest scientist, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kandaghat; subject specialists (agriculture) from Kandaghat, Solan, Kunihar, Nalagarh and Dharampur, agriculture development and extension officers of all five blocks of the district, block technology manager and assistant block technology manager will help the agrarian community in preventing the disease outbreak.

Dr Dev Raj Kashyap, deputy director, agriculture, Solan, informed that the control committees will provide assistance and guidelines for pest control on receiving complaints or information from farmers. The officials will inform the Deputy Director Agriculture every week about the work undertaken to keep strict surveillance over the scenario.

At the block level, the farmers can also seek the help of agriculture development and extension officers besides the subject experts to tide over the problem.

A slew of interventions like organising camps for assistance in undertaking pest control for clusters, self-help groups, panchayats, women’’s groups, progressive farmers, revenue officials and employees of crop insurance scheme would be undertaken. A team of field officials has been authorised to monitor their work.