DHARMAPURI: Farmers are concerned as there is a rise in fall armyworm infestation in areas around Pappireddipatti in Dharmapuri. G Venkateshwar, a farmer from Pappireddipatti said, “Two years ago, our crops were damaged by the fall armyworms. We were only able to keep 20% of the yield and the rest was lost to the worms. Now, it is concerning to see the resurgence of these pests. We think that due to the climatic conditions, these worms are reproducing at an alarming rate. If left unchecked, this could be a huge problem.”
S Raja, another farmer from the region, said, “Maize cultivation is crucial to farmers in Dharmapuri. A successful harvest of maize could eliminate a major portion of our expenses in taking care of cattle. Hence this outbreak is concerning. A team of officials has visited the infected fields and also spoke about control measures.”
Entomologists and officials from the Agriculture department have conducted a joint inspection on Friday and Saturday and educated farmers on various control measures to prevent the spread of fall armyworm.
An official from the department said, “There is no large outbreak, a few worms were observed in some fields. Farmers need not be concerned about it. We have requested farmers to set up at least 10 bird perches per acre in their fields. Further, we have also requested them to use pheromone traps to prevent the male flies from breeding. We have also advised farmers to avoid chemical pesticides as they could harm cattle.”