Farmers worry about fall armyworm in Karimnagar

Karimnagar: The farmers in the district are worrying as Fall armyworm, in local parlance Katteru Purugu has attacked their maize crop and fast spreading to other crops also. They seek agricultural officials' intervention in destroying these worms, spread due to deficit rainfall.

These worms appeared in maize fields majorly and in neighbouring paddy fields also in a few villages during Kharif and Rabi seasons earlier. These worms are voracious consumers of crops and will destroy the entire crop.

However, with high alertness of agricultural department and the scientist, the damage could be controlled or brought down so as to lower the loss.

Karimnagar DAO Sridhar informed that pheromone traps have arrived at the district. They are used for identifying the incidence and intensity of the pest fall armyworm or Spodoptera frugiperda in maize crop.

The chemical placed in the trap attracts the male adult flies into the trap and the lure functions for about 28 days after of its installation. The count of the adults each day in the trap is used for taking up control or preventive measures with the suggestions by the mandal agriculture officer, agriculture extension officer and scientists, Sridhar said.