Rare insect eats into sandal trees across Khammam district

Khammam: Officials and planters are clueless how to deal with the pest that has been destroying sandal trees across erstwhile Khammam district.

For the first time the rare insect wood boring cerambycid beetle has been found in red sandal plantations the district.

According to entomologist Deepa M, the insect is noticed in other countries till now but it is for the first time it is seen in erstwhile Khammam district in entire Tellangana State.

Farmers have cultivated red sandal plantations in 2,300 acres were expecting good income when compare to other commercial crops. But they noticed that the tree stems are getting damaged.BS Reddy planted red sandal in 5 acres 12 years ago in Marlapadu village in Vemsoor mandal of Khammam district. He noticed that trees were getting damaged and informed the same to the Horticulture officials. They visited the plantation and suggested some pesticides which farmer applied but with no result. He appealed to the State government to save the farmers from the insect and protect his plantation.

Another farmer K Chandrasekhar of Nimmalagudem village Sujathanagar mandal in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district also planted red sandal in 24 acres 12 years ago. Due to the new insect, his plantation is getting damaged.

M Deepa, entomologist of Institute of Forest Biodiversity of Hyderabad said,'' we have to study that this type insects were seeing in other countries but how it reached in Khammam. She also said the insect makes tunnel into the stem of the tree and settles inside at least 10 months silently and eat tree from bottom to top. She along with other officials visited Nimmalgudu of Badradri-kothagudem district, Marlapadu, Vensoor mandal, and Vishwanadhapuram, Kallur mandal in Khammam district. She suggested the farmers to remove and destroy dead and severely affected branches of the tree.