Rajapalayam
Ahead of the northeast monsoon season that would intensify sowing of maize in Rajapalayam taluk, officials of Department of Agriculture have begun an awareness programme on the ways to control Fall Armyworm attack on the crop.
The district had faced crop loss after over 30,000 farmers cultivated maize on over 25,000 hectares in 2018.
The attack by the invasive pest was found in many districts across the State.
“With the recent rain reported in these parts of the district, farmers in various villages in the taluk have started sowing maize. So far, sowing had been taken up on some 300 hectares. We expect the sowing to go in full swing soon after the northeast monsoon sets in,” Agricultural Officer G. Dhanalakshmi said.
Maize coverage in the taluk is expected to be around 1,700 hectares in Rajapalayam taluk.
“We want to create awareness of the various ways of controlling the pest,” she said.
Joint Director (Agriculture) Uthandaraman and Assistant Director T. Subbiah (Rajapalayam) were present during the flagging off of an awareness vehicle.
The vehicle would go around the Maize-production villages like Melarajakularaman, S. Ramalingapuram, Solapuram, Gopalapuram, Vadakarai, Thenkarai, Korukkampatti and Nathampatti.
Ms. Dhanalakshmi said that the State Government would give ₹2,000 subsidy for every hectare for controlling Fall Armyworm in Maize.
The farmers would be given treated seeds and were advised to raise sunflower and gingelly as border crop and black gram and green gram as inter crop to control the pest.
Besides, after 20 days of raising the plants, the farmers have been advised to spray neem oil. They should also spray Metarhizium after 40 days.
The farmers need to spend on the pesticide and 50% subsidy for the pesticide would be deposited to their account. The officials demonstrated these pest control measures to the farmers.