CSIR-IICT has announced on Monday that it will be making and supplying 3.6 lakh traps and 7.2 lakh lures for farmers growing maize/corn crops this year to tackle the Fall Worm infestation present in nearly 140 mandals of 15 districts.
Director S. Chandrasekhar flagged off the first consignment of traps and lures to tackle the pest for the Mahabubnagar, Gadwal and Kamareddy districts. The programme is being taken up in association with the Telangana government’s agriculture department.
The department estimates that the maize crop is being grown in about 45,000 acres of cultivated area in the disease-sensitive districts of Siddipet, Mahabubnagar, Jogulamba Gadwal, Nagarkurnool, Kamareddy, Medak, Vikarabad, Khammam, Jangaon, Sangareddy, Mahabubabad, Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Rajanna Siricilla, and Jagitial.
Institute scientists Dr B. V. Subba Reddy, Dr B. Nagendra Babu, Dr Rajashekar and others were present at the ceremony. It was stated that the remaining lures and traps will be supplied by this weekend.