After lockdown woes, onion farmers hit by twister blight

Mysuru: Onions grown by farmers on hundreds of acres in Chamarajanagara district have been infected by the twister blight, as the lockdown woes continue.
The twister blight twists the leaves of the crops, causing the onions to decay rapidly. In Gundlupet taluk alone, onions on nearly 1,000ha are affected by the twister blight. Severely affected areas include Deshipura, Baragi, Hongahalli, Chemmamallipura and neighbouring villages in the taluk.
Farmers growing around 80 quintals of onion on an acre, are not able to grow even 30 quintals this year, due to the disease.
Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) Gundlupet taluk general secretary Mahadevappa said the onions grown on over 300ha in Hangala and two neighbouring villages are affected by the disease. “This is the first time that the twister disease has damaged crops in such a large scale. The disease has affected the entire district. Onions are one of the major commercial crops in the district. After the disease started to destroy the crops, we consulted with horticulture department officials. They claim that moisture in the soil is causing the damage, but we have had good yield for years despite heavy rainfall,” he said.
Farmer leader Mahadevappa said, “Farmers, without assistance cannot identify the pesticides to be sprayed for different diseases. They spray the pesticides suggested by agrochemical shops, who in turn recommend only those that fetch them commission. So, if the government wants farmers to grow good crops, they should open agri-clinics with technical assistants, who can guide farmers in every gram panchayat,” he said.
“The current scenario in the district calls for a survey of the onion crop loss, and to ensure that farmers who lost their crop are compensated,” he added. Haradanahalli’s Krishi Vigyan Kendra scientist B Pampana Gowda suggested that farmers spray a mix of water and methyl on the crops. “After five to six days, boron, zinc and magnesium should be sprayed,” he added.