Perching and Light Trap system benefits farmers

A light trap system is used at a field in Kohuli village under Buroil union of Nandigram upazila in Bogra. Photo: Star

The perching and Light Trap system introduced by the agriculture department for keeping Aman-paddy fields' pest free has been gaining popularity and ensuring success among the farmers of Bogra.

Sources from Bogra's Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said that this year the DAE set a production target of 4,92,092 tones of T-aman cultivation on 1,85,413 hectares of land in the district but farmers brought 1,90,000 hectares of land under T-aman cultivation.

Thanks to the use of the above mentioned systems, farmers do not need to use insecticides or other such poisons, saving them money in the process. Instead they have been given training in using perching with the support of tree branches namely the Dhance tree while light traps in the paddy fields keep the crops safe from the poisons of insecticides.

While visiting the paddy-fields of Nandigram upazila, the local upazila Agriculture office has taken up the huge initiative of using perching and light trap systems to control different insects effectively.

Sources from Nandigram upazila agriculture office said the department had set a target of T-aman cultivation on 20, 859 hectares of land in the district and a production target of 55, 411 metric tones of rice but farmers only brought 20, 570 hectares of land under cultivation they started to cultivate early varieties of vegetables after Aus cultivation.

The source also added that most of the Aman Crop-land of the upazila had been attacked by Majra Poka, Gandhi Poka and Chungi Poka and Gash Foring. Since then farmers of the upazila have been using perching and light trap systems on 80% of the total land managing to keep the crops safe.

A farmer of Kothom village of the upazila Shafiqul Islam said that they have been successful in using perching and light trap systems which cost considerably less to cultivate paddy on their land, keeping the soil poison free.

Another farmer of Kohuli village of Buruil union of the upazila Shonatan Kumar said that they have been using the system instead of using insecticides which lessens their production costs and keeps the crops contaminant free. 

Pesticide trader of Nandigram municipality area Jahangir Alam said after implementing the insecticide- free systems, the sales of insecticides are less than that of last year.

Contacted, Upazila Agriculture Officer (UAO) of Nandigram, Mohammad Moshidul Haque said “farmers have been benefitting from implementing the systems and more farmers are showing interest in the insecticide-free systems.

To motivate and to encourage farmers the department has been conducting yard meetings, milking, leaflet distributions, field-level monitoring and observing field-day, added the UAO.