Audio Conference with the farmers of Kumram Bheem Asifabad (Aspirational) and Mancherial Districts on Integrated Pest and Disease Management in Major Crops

Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Bellampalli in a co-ordination with Reliance Foundation organized an Audio Conference with the farmers of Hathni, Thimmapur, Kunchavelli, Kalwada, Vodduguda, Kothmir villages of Dahegaon mandal of Kumram Bheem Asifabad (Aspirational) and Malagurijala and Bellampalli villages of Mancherial District on Integrated Pest and Disease Management in major crops like Cotton, Rice and Redgram crops on 2nd September, 2020. As KVK, Bellampalli, a district Knowledge Centre of Agriculture conducting a need based video/audio conferences with the farmers to disseminate the weather based agro advisories for the effective management of the crop as well as to improve/enhance the yields. During the session most of the farmers expressed about the difficulty in managing the crop during water logging conditions, sap suckers and Pink Boll Worm in Cotton and Stem Borer Incidence and Nutrient Deficiencies in Rice and also Incidence of wilt in Redgram, which are major concerns from economic point of view. In this connection, Dr. M. Rajeshwar Naik and his scientific team namely Sri A. Nagaraju, SMS (Plant Protection), Dr. I. Thirupathi, SMS (Crop Production) and Smt.U. Sravanthi, SMS (Horticulture) interacted with the farmers and delivered the need based advisories to the farming community as mentioned below:

Cotton:

• Application 25 kg urea &10 kg MOP per acre after 40 days sowing as top dressing.
• Heavy rains may cause the wilt in cotton crop and can be managed by drenching with the copper oxy chloride @ 30g + plantomycin @ 2g per 10 litre of water. 
• The prevailing conditions are favourable for leaf spot disease in cotton can be managed by spraying with carbendazim + mancozeb @ 2.5 gr / lit or propiconozole @ 1ml /lit of water is recommended.
• The Prevailing weather conditions are favourable for pest & diseases in cotton crop. To control, spray Acephate @ 1.5 gr + 1gr carbendazim per litre of water is recommended.
• Prevailing weather conditions are congenial for the incidence of sucking pests in cotton. To prevent the pests apply monocrotophos and water in 1:4 ratio (or) imidaclopride and water in 1:20 ratio with a soft brush on tender part of the stem for 45 - 60 days old crop.
• Install the pheromone traps @ 4 per acre and suggested to spray with Azadiractin 1500 ppm @ 5 ml per litre of water for the effective management of Pink Boll Worm.

Rice:

• Prevailing weather conditions are favourable for Bacterial Leaf Blight in paddy and suggested to spray with Agromycin @ 0.4gm per litre of water.
• To stop the apply of Nitrogenous fertilizers to crop temporarily. In early stage to control the spreading of disease to spray copper oxy chloride @ 3 g + Plantomycine @ 0.2 g per liter of water.
• Prevailing weather conditions are favourable for stemborer in paddy.To control apply of carbofuron 3 G@10 kg or cartap hydrochloride @ 8 kg /acre.

Redgram:

• Incidence of leaf spot in redgram, which can be managed by spraying with Carbendazim @ 1gm per litre of water.

As the session was concluded with the Cotton, which can be damaged by various sucking pest complex and Pink Boll Worm in various stages, leading to reduce the quality of lint and fibre. In this regard, most of the farmers who participated in the conference were suggested to promote the adoption of integrated pest management practices which are helpful in managing the menace of these sucking pests as well as Pink Boll Worm and also stressed about the importance of formation of alleyways for the effective management of Brown Plant Hopper and Nutrient management in Rice.