SAMBALPUR: Despite the brown planthopper (BPH) attack on paddy plants over 1,052 hectares (ha) of land in the district, there have been no reports of crop loss, thanks to timely action by Agriculture officials and farmers.
Plant Protection Officer, Sambalpur Manoranjan Sethi said the pest attack was below economic threshold limit (ETL) in the district and so far, no crop loss has been detected.
Agriculture officials had organised awareness camps to educate farmers on ways to save crops from BPH and other pest attacks.
The farmers were asked not to dilute the pesticide and apply it properly on the root of paddy plants. This apart, they were taught the proper way to spray pesticide, he said.
BPH attack took place due to humid weather condition. However, the infestation was checked by applying pesticide and now with the onset of winter, the situation is under complete control, Sethi added.
Umesh Mishra, a farmer of Satupali village under Dhankuada block, said he has cultivated paddy over 30 acres of land. Standing paddy plants over seven-acre was attacked by BPH. However, he could save his crop due to timely spraying of pesticide.
The pest had attacked standing Kharif paddy plants over 414 ha in Dhankauda block, 176 ha in Jamankira and 175.6 ha in Maneswar.
Besides, paddy plants over 154 ha in Naktideul, 48 ha in Bamra, 27.5 ha in Rengali, 27 ha in Jujumura, 15 ha each in Rairakhol and Kuchinda were attacked by the BPH.
In 2017 kharif season, paddy crop over 36,230 ha of land in the district was affected by the BPH. Frustrated over the pest attack, many farmers had set their damaged paddy crop on fire.