Pune: The recent, untimely rain and hail has not just destroyed crops but is causing an attack of various pests and diseases on the state’s rabi harvest.A report of the state agriculture department said over 100 villages had reported diseases on crops, particularly wheat, ragi, jowar, grams, maize and sugar cane, causing loss to farmers.The report, which is based on the agricultural situation in Maharashtra till February 16, stated that several divisions, including Nashik, Pune, and Aurangabad, experienced thunderstorm and unseasonal rain recently. Pests like Gram pod borer or ‘Helicoverpa’ and other diseases have struck the gram crop in as many as 11 villages across Dhule, Nandurbar, and Jalgaon. The incidence of pests and diseases on gram has also crossed the economic threshold level (ETL) here. Crops like wheat, gram, jowar, maize have been affected by diseases and pests in this division.An economic threshold is the insect’s population level or extent of crop damage at which the value of the crop destroyed exceeds the cost of controlling the pest.In Pune division, gram crop in 32 villages across Ahmednagar and Solapur has been attacked by such pests currently. Here too, the incidence has crossed the economic threshold level. Crops such as wheat, gram, sugar cane and maize are expected to cause financial losses to growers due to pest attacks, the report said.Various rabi crops in as many as 19 villages in Latur, seven in Amravati and 41 in Nagpur, among others, are facing a similar situation due to the rain and hailstorm, with the incidence of pests and diseases crossing the threshold at these locations as well.Director of MAHA Farmers Producer Company Limited (MAHAFPC) Amit Naphade, told TOI that whenever there is a variation in weather — sudden change from cold to warm, unseasonal rain, or no rain in the monsoon months — the incidence of pests and diseases on crops increases.“Such changes are ideal for pests and diseases to flourish, since the crops weaken at these times and become susceptible to pest attacks. Most districts in Vidarbha, Marathwada, and some in north Maharashtra, are facing increased pest attacks following the recent unseasonal rain, with between 30% and 60% wheat crop getting destroyed not just because of rain but pest attack and diseases,” said Naphde.Farmer Purushottam Mangte Patil from Vyala village in Balapur district of Akola said that had the unseasonal rain and hail not affected the region, crop health and production would have been 100% this rabi season. “But now, various pests are hounding the crops,” he said.Buldhana farmer Milind Pachpande said that between 25% to 50% of onion crop in his field is facing pest attacks. “The onion crop is close to rotting in many areas,” he said.

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