Starting this kharif season, agriculture dept to monitor pest infesting jowar, sugarcane

  • | Friday | 3rd May, 2019

THE AGRICULTURE department will start monitoring the Fall Army Worm (FAW), starting this kharif season by using their GPS-based pest monitoring system called CropSap. More than 13,000 ground staff members are required to map the areas designated to them twice a week and upload pest infestation reports using geographic information system (GIS) tagged mobile phones. Since then, they have reported FAW in fields of maize, jowar and sugarcane in western Maharashtra. This follows reports of infestation on jowar, sugarcane and maize crops in various parts of the state, which has set alarm bells ringing in the agricultural community. Officials said the final green signal for including FAW for surveillance is expected on May 3.

THE AGRICULTURE department will start monitoring the Fall Army Worm (FAW), starting this kharif season by using their GPS-based pest monitoring system called CropSap. This follows reports of infestation on jowar, sugarcane and maize crops in various parts of the state, which has set alarm bells ringing in the agricultural community. Advertising In Maharashtra, FAW was identified by Ankush Chormule and Naresh Shejawal of Singapore-based farm advisory firm 6th Grain Corporation. Since then, they have reported FAW in fields of maize, jowar and sugarcane in western Maharashtra. Senior officials of the state agriculture department said they had decided to include surveillance of FAW in the list of the pests it monitored under the CropSap project. CropSap is a flagship programme of the department through which it monitors pests on cotton, tur, soya bean, paddy and gram. Formed in 2008, the programme is marked by extensive use of communications and information technology. More than 13,000 ground staff members are required to map the areas designated to them twice a week and upload pest infestation reports using geographic information system (GIS) tagged mobile phones. Based on information fed, advisories are issued for dissemination by the field staff. Also, in case of identification of epidemic in certain areas, measures such as sale of subsidised pesticides can also be undertaken. Officials said the final green signal for including FAW for surveillance is expected on May 3. An official said, “Necessary training and literature has already been distributed to the ground staff.”

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