Fall Armyworm attack on maize crop in Ariyalur district worries farmers

With the Fall Armyworm (spodoptera frugiperda) attack being reported in maize crop in Ariyalur district, the Agriculture Department and the district administration have urged farmers to come together in groups to spray pesticides using drone to check the spread of the invasive pest and prevent loss of yield

With the Fall Armyworm (spodoptera frugiperda) attack being reported in maize crop in Ariyalur district, the Agriculture Department and the district administration have urged farmers to come together in groups to spray pesticides using drone to check the spread of the invasive pest and prevent loss of yield.

Ariyalur is a major maize-growing district in the State with the crop raised on nearly 21,000 hectares of land this year. The crops were in various stages of growth. The crop is 75 to 80 days old and well grown, standing more than six-foot tall. The outbreak has been noticed in crops at various stages. In some places, the crop has been affected by another pest, spodoptera litura. An enumeration of the extent of the damage is under way, the officials said.

Pesticides can be applied using handheld sprayers on young crops, but is difficult to do so on well-grown crops. Drones could be deployed in such a situation, the officials said.

The department has identified private agencies to carry out the task and farmers who wish to use their services can contact the field officers of the department. “It will be better if farmers come forward in groups to apply the pesticide using drones in contiguous fields as it may not be viable for operators to cover small, individual fields,” said a senior official.

Recently, District Collector J. Anne Mary Swarna inspected the spraying of the insecticide on maize fields at Walajahnagaram. She instructed the officials to take steps to deploy drones for spraying the pesticide. She directed the officials to make available adequate quantity of the recommended pesticides in all parts of the district and sensitise farmers.

The Agriculture Department has issued an advisory to farmers about the steps to be taken to contain the spread of the pest attack and prevent yield loss in the infested crop.