Now, officials fear whitefly attack on wheat crop

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, September 18

It is not just the alleged poor quality of pesticides to be blamed for the whitefly attack that caused a massive damage to the cotton crop in the Malwa region, the Agriculture Department had also “ignored” the growth of this pest on moong crop and vegetables in March, April and May. The state government on Thursday removed Agriculture Department Director Mangal Sandhu from the post for reportedly purchasing pesticide that failed to tackle the attack on cotton crop.

Now, Agriculture Department officials have admitted that the whitefly had first attacked and damaged the moong crop. The sucking pest had grown at a fast pace and later attacked the cotton crop, they said. It also grew on lady finger, guar and some other vegetables, causing a massive damage to these crops as well.

Even though the state government has now swung into action, Agriculture Department officials are apprehensive of damage to the next-in-line wheat crop as well.

“The whitefly had started growing on moong crop and some vegetables and it later attacked cotton crop. It will die down with the change in weather. But before the season approaches, in the first month of sowing of wheat crop, it may cause damage to wheat crop as well. The farmers will have to be cautious for a month after sowing wheat crop,” said Beant Singh, Chief Agriculture Officer, Muktsar.

He said famers were being told to destroy the wild growth in and around their fields. “We have also requested the Deputy Commissioner to ask MGNREGA labourers to uproot wild growth from the roadsides,” said Beant Singh.

Courtesy: The Tribune