Pink stem borer infests wheat crop on 10k acres in Malwa, say agri experts
Experts say insecticides use has controlled the infestation and there will be no major impact on the crop
Bathinda, Mansa and Barnala districts have emerged as the worst hit by the pink stem borer in the wheat fields even as the state agriculture authorities say the infestation has been contained due to a gradual drop in temperature and use of recommended insecticides.
Information gathered from the official sources on Monday stated that the wheat crop on nearly 10,000 acres was impacted by the pest attack but most of it was revived.
Scores of farmers in the Malwa districts had to re-sow wheat on nearly 1,000 acres while the crop on more than 2,000 acres is still being treated with the use of insecticides, officials said.
There was hardly any fresh incident of pest infestation in the last 25 days, officials said.
Experts say the infestation of pink borer in wheat is not common but the main rabi crop was found infested in several areas of the Malwa belt.
Officials attribute infestation to early sown wheat that witnessed the pest attack due to high temperatures when the crop was at the germination stage.
But the timely pest management helped in controlling the attack, say the officials.
Bathinda chief agriculture officer (CAO) Jagsir Singh said that Nathana and Rampura blocks were worst hit with the pink borer as wheat fields on about 4,000 acres were found infested with it.
“Nearly 1,500-acre area was revived due to intervention of the pesticides. Farmers in various villages had to re-sow wheat. Initial input suggests nearly 500 acres have been res-own and more acreage may be added to it as the data collection is underway,” said the official.
According to the Mansa CAO Harpreet Pal Kaur, out of 2,300 acres of area found affected by the pest attack, wheat on 1,565 acres has revived till Friday.
“Our field teams are guiding wheat growers to use the recommended insecticides. Chemical sprays on another 1,000 acres will show results in another 2-3 days and we do not apprehend any major loss of production as the pest has gone inactive due to low temperature,” she added.
Kaur said the survey has revealed that the required insecticides are in ample amounts in the market.
In Barnala, farmers had to use insecticide after the infestation affected about 2,000 acres.
CAO Jagdish Singh said after November 15 there was hardly any report of fresh pest attack, and the situation is completely under control.
“Our teams are regularly sensitising farmers and the wheat growers have been advised to contact the agriculture officials for pest management. There is no need to panic, and pink stem borer pest tends to hibernate in the lower temperatures and we are not apprehending any serious threat to the rabi crop,” he added.
The pest attack was also spotted at a few places in Moga, Muktsar and Fazilka.
