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Thursday | 16 January 2025 | Epaper

Armyworms devouring crops in Feni 

Published : Saturday, 16 November, 2024 at 12:00 AM  Count : 334
Md Abu Taher Bhuiyan
FENI, Nov 15: Farmers are in panic about devastating armyworm insects in their croplands in the district.

The insect has also been named as 'common courtyard' by Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute.  
 
Agriculture suffered Tk 1,000 crore losses due to three-time flooding during July-August in Feni. 

To overcome their bad conditions, farmers started farming of different crops including vegetables. 

According to field sources, armyworms have appeared alarming in croplands in Feni's Fulgazi, Porshuram, Sonagazi, Dagonbhuiyan, Chhagalnaiya and Sadar upazilas.

If the insect cannot be tackled, food insecurity is likely in these areas, local farmers said. 

Farmers in Sonagazi Upazila's Amirabad and Nawabpur and Fulgazi Upazila's Darbarpur and Munsirhat areas said, these insects came with flood water.

By applying insecticide, these insects cannot be tackled.

A visit found black armyworms roaming in croplands, roads, houses and jungles in these areas.

After recession of the flood water, farmers cultivated Aman. Besides, they also cultivated advance vegetables including bottle gourd, ash gourd, bitter gourd, ridge gourd, and leafy jute.

Farmer Nurul Afsar of Purba Darbarpur area at Fulgazi said, "I cultivated bottle gourd on 30 decimals of land. But all saplings were devoured. Insecticide did not work." 

A farmer of Munisirhat area at Fulgazi and a returnee immigrant Haji Abu Taher said, after the flood, beetles appeared in vegetable fields; these insects are devouring all winter vegetables, such as cauliflower, cabbage and radish.

A dweller of Char Krishnajoy Village in Sonagazi Upazila Abdul Jalil said, "I never saw so many insects in my life. We get scared to see these. These climb body. They are entering houses."

Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer in Fulgazi Upazila Manoj Kanti Debnath said, "Farmers are given advise about protecting crops from pest attack. We are working at the union level."

Sonagazi Upazila Agriculture Officer Main Uddin said, "Firstly, the insect appeared alarmingly. Not their appearance has decreased. We have formed squads at the upazila level to check this insect."

Three types of medicines are applied to tackle these insects including mixture of nytro and coragen, he added.

He further said, some larvae got levelled with weeds in fields during the flood, and now these have caused to the increase of insects. 

Diploma Agriculturist Azizul Haq, who is retired assistant extension officer and National Medal winner in agriculture, said, it is a big-sized beetle; it is making crop damage seriously; it eats at night and sleep at day time.

Assistant Lecturer of Feni Government College's Zoology Department Motahar Hossain said, the recent flood can be the main reason of the insect; this insect breeds hugely in mild cold and warm.  

"At present, the weather is very fair. It is an extra concern for us," he added.

According to him, this insect fledges its life cycle in 30-35 days in the summer, and, in the winter, it completes its life cycle in 70-80 days; usually, a female insect lays 1,500-2,000 eggs beneath leaf; and after turning insects, these start eating leaves; a fledged insect is 8-12 centimetre; in dry and moisture atmosphere, the insect completes 4-5 life cycles; fully-fledged insects can fly afar; and even along with stormy wind, these can get spread across several hundred kilometres.

Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE)-Feni Md Ekram Uddin confirmed the menace of the deadly insect. 

DAE"s field officers are providing advice to farmers at the field level, he added.

He further said, farmers are advised to set up light trap and parching system for bird sitting; insecticide spraying is advised; and farmers are also advised for keeping water in fields.



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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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