Unidentified disease threatens garlic crop in Trans-Giri region

Farmers in the Trans-Giri region of Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district are facing a severe crisis as an unidentified disease spreads rapidly across garlic fields. The infection is so aggressive that fields are turning yellow overnight, and even after applying recommended treatments, farmers are struggling to contain its spread. If the situation persists, they fear losing crops worth lakhs of rupees.

The outbreak has affected vast areas, including Paab Manal, Naya Panjor, Devlah, Chakla, and Hallan and some other villages where garlic crops are wilting at an alarming rate. Concerned farmers like Kalyan Singh, Anant Ram, Baru Ram, Sundar Singh, Yashpal and Kumbhiya Ram say they had chosen garlic as a profitable alternative to ginger, which has suffered from rot diseases in recent years. However, this new disease in garlic has now put them in a difficult position.

This year, farmers invested heavily in garlic cultivation, purchasing seeds at Rs 350 to Rs 400 per kg. Initially, the crops showed healthy growth, but in the past one to two weeks, a mysterious disease has begun affecting the plants. Farmers describe the symptoms as a gradual yellowing of leaves, which, within two to three days, leads to the complete drying up of the plant. Upon digging up the affected plants, they notice shriveled and decaying garlic bulbs. Despite following agriculture department recommendations and spraying prescribed fungicides and pesticides, the disease remains uncontrollable, increasing the likelihood of a major crop failure.

Recognising the severity of the situation, Sirmaur’s Deputy Director of Agriculture, Rajkumar Parmar, has assured farmers that the department is taking immediate action. He confirmed that the necessary pesticides have already been sent to the department’s Sale Center, and a team of scientists from Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Dhaulakuan, will soon visit the affected areas to diagnose the disease and suggest effective countermeasures.

While an official diagnosis is yet to be made, agricultural experts suspect that the disease could be caused by a fungal or bacterial infection, soil-borne pathogens, or environmental stress factors like excessive moisture or sudden temperature fluctuations. They advise farmers to isolate infected plants, improve field drainage, rotate crops to break disease cycles, and apply scientifically recommended fungicides under expert supervision.

Farmers in the region are now urging state authorities to provide financial relief and scientific assistance to combat the crisis. They fear that if immediate steps are not taken, their hard work and investments will go to waste. Many are also seeking government subsidies for alternative cash crops and advanced disease-resistant seed varieties.

As garlic remains a significant cash crop for Trans-Giri’s agricultural economy, the outbreak of this disease poses a serious threat to local farmers’ livelihoods. While authorities have assured action, the next few weeks will be critical in determining the extent of the damage and the success of the disease-control measures. For now, farmers are anxiously awaiting expert guidance, hoping for a timely solution to save their crops and avoid a financial disaster.