VILLUPURAM: A team of scientists from the Tamil Nadu Agricultural Science Institute in Tindivanam inspected cane crops hit by the armyworm-affected in Villupuram on Tuesday. This comes after a complaint lodged by sugarcane farmers that 300 acres were affected.
Scientists P Sridhar, S Malathi and district joint director of agriculture G Ramanan, visited the cane fields in Kanaikuppam village to study the growth and viability of the armyworm. Subsequently, agronomists provided appropriate advice to farmers on the eradication and control of armyworm that invaded the crops.
Scientist Sridhar told TNIE,"Due to rapid spread of this type of American armyworm, eradication would happen only if farmers apply pesticides to their crops at the same time."
Villupuram's sugarcane farmers were shocked after a type of American pest - Armyworm. The worm, which has previously attacked only cereals such as maize, black gram, alfalfa and beans, now attacked sugarcane crops for the very first time in Tamil Nadu.
Crops in villages including Mundiyambakkam, Orathur, Kaanai, Kanaikuppam, Perumbakkam, Ayandur, Arcot and Kanjanur were allegedly affected with the pest last week. These American worms attacked the sugarcane crops within 30 to 40 days of planting and destroyed the sugarcane oasis, claimed the farmers. According to the Farmers Association here, sugarcane crops were ruined and the infestation had cost them Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 per acre.
JD Agriculture Ramanan said that the management of the Rajasree Sugar Mills in Mundiyambakkam had procured the pesticides in bulk and distributed them to sugarcane farmers at a lower price.