SAMBALPUR: Attack of panicle mite pests on standing paddy crops has become a cause of serious concern for both farmers and the Agriculture department in the district.
According to reports, standing paddy crops over 349 hectare (ha) of land in Sambalpur has been affected by panicle nites. The pest has infected paddy crop over 198 ha in Dhankauda block, 149 ha in Maneswar and two ha in Rengali. This apart, paddy fields of some villages in Jujumura block have also been affected.
Plant Protection Officer, Sambalpur Manoranjan Sethi said Panicle Mites have mainly attacked the MTU-7029 variety of paddy, popularly known as ‘Swarna’. The pest damages the grains of paddy plants. They are not visible to naked eye. Farmers are able to know about the attack only after the damage to the grains, he said.
Sethi informed that they have requested Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Sambalpur and the Regional Research and Transfer of Technology Station, Chiplima under Odisha University of Agriculture Technology (OUAT) to send a team of scientists to ascertain the cause behind the pest attack and measures to contain it.
Dolagobinda Nayak, a farmer of Kukudapali village in Jujumura, said he has cultivated paddy over 80 acre of land. However, standing crop over 30 acre has been attacked by the pests. “Earlier, such attack happened on small patches. But this year, it is alarming,” he said.
Despite taking all precautionary measures and applying pesticides, pest have affected his paddy crop, Nayak rued.
Meanwhile, paddy crops over 1,296 ha of land in the district have been affected by brown planthopper (BPH). Sethi said the BPH attack is below Economic Threshold Limit and is under control.