Siddipet: Narayanraopet paddy farmers keep stem borers at bay

Despite the presence of stem borer, the farmers of Narayanraopet had got more than average paddy yield in the last Yasangi

Siddipet: Stem borer insects damaged paddy crops to a great extent during the last few years in Telangana. However, the farmers of Narayanraopet village had dealt with the stem borer menace efficiently under the guidance of agriculture officials.

Despite the presence of stem borer, the farmers here had got more than average paddy yield in the last Yasangi.

The scientists of Prof Jayashankar Telangana State Agriculture University visited early during the Yasangi transplantation period to educate the farmers on the stem borer menace as the insect greatly reduced the Vanakalam yield. Speaking to Telangana Today Agriculture Extension Officer (AEO) Narayanraopet, T Nagarjuna has said that the farmers had used the right pesticide in the right dose at the right time which they named as RRR model.

Nagarjuna has said the installation of pheromone traps proved very effective in restricting stem borer. Stating that the farmers had installed eight pheromone traps in every acre of land, the AEO has said that they had installed the traps in 210 acres to trap the stem borers en masse. He said that they had noticed at least 25 male adult stem borers trapped in each of the traps per week. Paddy farmer Nalla Rathnakar Reddy, who got 36 quintals of yield per acre, has said the spraying neem oil under the guidance of agriculture officials at the nursery stage also proved efficient in destroying the moth and egg of stem borer apart from applying 900 grams of carbofuran 3G granules per acre.

Most of the farmers in these 210 acres had got more than the average yield of 32 quintals of paddy.