Worm Infestation Threatens Paddy Crops in Kodagu’s Balele Village

The infestation, identified as a type of caterpillar, was first noticed about a week ago.

Ponnampet: A disaster is looming over paddy fields in Kottageri village, Balele of Kodagu district, where a sudden worm attack has left farmers concerned.

The infestation, identified as a type of caterpillar, was first noticed about a week ago and is spreading rapidly, threatening acres of young paddy crops in their initial growth stages.

Machangada Dikky Aiyanna, a farmer from Kottageri, said, "For the past few days, we’ve been observing these worms ravaging the crops. They appear in clusters, damaging the leaves and stems, and we’re struggling to control their spread.” Farmers are now apprehensive about the potential for severe crop loss if immediate solutions are not implemented by the concerned authorities.

Paddy is a staple crop in Kodagu, alongside coffee, black pepper, and arecanut. These crops are essential to the livelihoods of many small-scale farmers in the region, who rely significantly on the seasonal harvest for their income.

Meanwhile, speaking to The Kodagu Express, Veerendra Kumar K.V., Subject Matter Specialist (Plant Protection) from ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Gonikoppal, advised farmers to tackle the worm infestation by spraying fipronil at 2 ml per litre or Emamectin benzoate at 0.4 g per litre of water, along with a wetting agent.

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