Heavy damage to urad crop due to insect attack in Thanjavur district

21-Jun-2024 02:18 PM

Thanjavur. Farmers are likely to suffer huge losses due to heavy attack of insects and diseases on urad crop in Thanjavur (old name Tanjore) district of South Indian state- Tamil Nadu.

Yellow mosaic virus has caused such a severe attack on this crop (black gram) that many farmers have started ploughing the fields because they feel that nothing is going to be gained from the crop and the cost of harvesting and preparation will be more than the amount of pulses obtained. In most of the fields, the plants have turned yellow and are slowly dying.

It is worth mentioning that in Thanjavur district, this pulse crop is traditionally sown in Chaitirai (April-May) while its harvesting and preparation starts during the 'Aadi' months of July-August.

During the current year, black gram pulses have been sown in about 2750 hectares in this district, but most of the crop has been affected by insects. Ignoring this crop, farmers have become busy preparing their fields for the cultivation of Kuruvai season crops.

In many areas, about 60 percent of the black gram crop has been destroyed by the attack of insects, while the remaining 40 percent of the crop is also producing less grains.

Usually 120 grains are produced in a plant, whereas this time only 4-6 grains have come in some places. After harvesting it,

farmers want to cultivate Kuruvai (Kharif) season crops and especially paddy, for which the weather conditions there are considered favorable.