Karnataka - Hassan   

Incessant rain may affect pepper crop

By Our Staff Correspondent

HASSAN, AUG. 6. The heavy rain in the district for the past five days has created anxiety among pepper growers.

The growers, who were expecting a good yield this year, are now anxious about the possibility of fungal disease affecting the crop owing to the heavy rain.

According to statistics put out by the Spices Board, pepper is cultivated in around 4,000 hectares in the State.

But, according to sources, the area under pepper cultivation in the State is actually around 40,000 hectares and the estimated production of pepper for 2004-05 is around 25,000 tonnes.

The Joint Director of the Spices Board, P.G. Mathew, told The Hindu that the early rains had helped the crop and that the flowering was good.

However, the crop needed a break from the rain.

The early onset of the monsoon had resulted in the luxuriant growth of the pepper plants, but the lack of rain in July created apprehensions among the pepper growers as the creepers began to dry up.

The revival of the monsoon had created both hope and anxiety, Mr. Mathew said.

Potato

According to horticulture experts, the recent rain will affect the potato crop in Alur and Belur taluks due to the loose structure of the soil.

However, the crop in Hassan taluk will not be affected because the soil is hard.

The dry spell had affected the crop and many potato growers in Hassan taluk insured their crop, according to Pampapathi, Deputy Director of the Department of Horticulture.

Pest attack

Farmers who cultivated castor as an inter-crop along with potato, tur dal, cowpea, and green gram, are now worried as the crop has been affected by the semi-luper pest (achoea-janata). According to Chandrashekar, entomologist at Kandali Agriculture Research Centre here, the castor crop in Hassan taluk, especially in Yeddanahalli, Katihalli, Kittanakere, and Anuganalu, has been affected by semi-luper.

Mr. Chandrashekar said that the reddish brown moth lays more than 450 bluish green eggs on the tip of the castor leaves. The larvae feed voraciously on the plant.

He said that controlling the pest by using chemicals was difficult.

Using methyl parathion and mathomile could help control the pest. It could also be <129>controlled with deep ploughing and creating a light source in the fields, Mr. Chandrashekar said.

Though micro-plitis (maculipennis) parasites are a natural enemy to semi-luper, these were not found in the areas where castor was grown.

The incessant rain is causing concern among farmers who have cultivated ginger in the district, especially in Sakleshpur taluk.

Soft rot

The crop has been affected by soft rot (kole roga).

Heavy rain in Sakleshpur, Alur, and Arkalgud, where ginger has been cultivated in about 2,000 hectares, has flooded the fields and made the crop rot.

Last year, the area under ginger in the district was around 1,200 hectares.

Owing to the increase in ginger prices, farmers, who cultivated paddy last year, have switched to ginger this year.

The price of ginger has, however, fallen this year. Farmers, who sold ginger at Rs. 41 a kg are now forced to sell it at Rs. 15.

According to experts, the farmers have not been able to control soft rot in the ginger crop. They are harvesting the crop prematurely.

The growers are now urging the Government to include ginger in the list of crops that are eligible for crop insurance.

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