Plastic mulching helps prevent Yellow Leaf Disease, says scientist
The Hindu
It has been taken up on trial basis in five affected plantations in the State
Acting Director of the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI), Kasaragod, Kerala, Anitha Karun has said that plastic mulching taken up on trial basis in five Yellow Leaf Disease-hit arecanut plantations in Karnataka has revealed that it has helped in preventing the spread of the disease.
Speaking after visiting two plastic mulching experimental plantations in Sullia taluk in Dakshina Kannada on Monday, she said that the CPCRI has taken up plastic mulching on five Yellow Leaf Disease-hit gardens in the State. Of these, two plots are in Markanja village, one in Kalmakar village of Sullia taluk and two are in Sringeri.
She said that plastic mulching was taken up four years ago. “This is the fifth year of the experiment. We found that there is no spread of the disease in all the five plots. Symptoms have also reduced,” she added.