Pest attack, blight threaten Aman target in N-dists
Insect infestation and blight of Aman paddy in large areas of northern districts are threatening the achievement of 1.36 crore tonnes Aman production target this season.
Farmers are struggling to protect Aman fields as the prices of pesticides are high. However, government officials say that the situation is not alarming.
Experts concerned, however, warned about pest attack, particularly brown plant hoppers (BPH) locally known as "current poka" in northern districts, and said it may cause massive damage to crops if effective steps are not taken immediately.
"We identified BPH on September 10. This was later found in many Aman fields in greater Rangpur," said MA Mazid, principal scientific officer at the regional office of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) in Rangpur.
BPH usually remain at the lower end of paddy plants and sucks the stems, he said, adding that the attack of this pest is more severe this year than previous years due to warm wet weather.
The level of attack is not alarming now but BPH are a very fast growing pest and they could spread to vast areas if effective actions are not taken immediately, Mazid told The Daily Star over telephone.
The problem is farmers sometimes spray pesticides on the upper part of paddy plants, he said, recommending that they should spray at the lower end as well, leave space between every four rows and if possible remove water from the field.
Prices of pesticides, used to control BPH, went up by 60 percent with the increase in demand. A bottle of pesticide usually costing Tk 108 was selling between Tk 160 and Tk 180, Mazid added.
Quoting field-level officials, our correspondent in Rangpur said vast areas of Aman fields in Gaibandha, Panchagarh, Kurigram and Lalmonirhat became yellowish due to leaf blight, which will hamper yield.
Leaf blight is caused mainly by low application of muriate of potash (MoP) and triple super phosphate (TSP) fertilisers, agriculturists said, adding that farmers used less MoP or TSP due to ignorance or high prices.
Prices of MoP and TSP were unusually high this Aman season. Prices of each 50kg sack of MoP and TSP ranged between Tk 2,500 and Tk 2,800.
"The leaf blight disease this year is more serious than in the previous years," said a field-level official in Rangpur.
Quoting unofficial sources, our correspondent in Dinajpur said Aman was cultivated on over 2.5 lakh hectares of land and around 70,000 hectares were attacked by pests or affected by leaf blight disease.
Aman production target in Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh, Joypurhat and Nilphamari was fixed at 17,95,385 tonnes from 7,18,154 hectares this season.
Disease and pest infestation that started about three weeks ago have now affected about 1,92,240 hectares in five districts. This is likely to reduce yield by around five lakh tonnes, Department of Agriculture Extension (DEA) officials said.
Officials and farmers said disease and pests affected mostly BR-11 and Swarna, the most cultivated varieties of paddy, this season.
Failing to apply pricey MoP and TSP, farmers used high doses of urea, said an agronomist at Haji Danesh Science and Technology University. Excessive use of urea in Aman fields increases the chance of BPH attack, he noted.
DAE Director General Shamsul Alam said he received reports of sporadic pest attacks and leaf blight disease in northern districts but it was not alarming.
"You [the media] give more coverage on agricultural issues now. Therefore, the pest attack or leaf blight disease appears to be more pervasive," he told The Daily Star.
Shamsul Alam said the DAE has already instructed officials concerned in the areas to demonstrate before farmers what pesticides to use and how to apply them properly.
Comments