Over a hundred farmers yesterday received training on environment-friendly perching method for killing harmful insects in crop fields, thanks to the initiative of Boda upazila agriculture department in Panchagarh district.

The day-long field training camp at Chandanbari village in Boda upazila, aiming at motivating farmers to reduce the use of chemical pesticides in crop fields through using the eco-friendly method for producing fresh food crops, also attracted a good number of students. 

Shamsul Alam, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture Department (DAE), attended the event as chief guest while Mamun Ur Rashid, upazila agriculture officer, presided.

The perching method, alternative to the use of chemical pesticides, can play a significant role in protecting paddy fields from pest attacks, agriculture officials said at the training camp.

It appears as a blessing against the backdrop of rampant use of toxic pesticides that threaten the ecological balance, they said.

According to the method, bamboo poles and branches of trees are set on crop fields at specific distances so that in search of food, birds perch on the poles and eat the pests. 

Besides helping to produce chemical-free healthy food crops, the perching method reduces the farmers' production cost as they do not have to spend money for using chemical pesticides.

Farmers of some areas are already getting benefits by using the method, trainers said.

The participants received hands-on training on the method, and made sample applications of it on the local paddy fields in the afternoon.