Allaying fears that insects spotted in some areas of Thiruvattar taluk were grasshoppers and not desert locusts, Collector Prashant M. Wadnere on Saturday assured farmers that they could be easily controlled.
After farmers of Kannanur and Mulavilai villages under Thiruvattar taluk informed officials about the invasion of ‘desert locusts’ in their area, a team of experts visited the farms.
The team included Thirukumaran of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Thiruppathisaaram, agriculture scientist Kavitha, Personal Assistant to Collector (Agriculture) Gunabalan, Assistant Director of Agriculture (Quality Control) Manoranjitham and senior officials from the Departments of Agriculture and Horticulture.
The farmers and experts, who inspected the ranches, sent images of the insects to the Department of Entomology, Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, Coimbatore, which identified them as “ordinary grasshoppers” (aularches milliaris) that affected only coffee plantations.
Although the grasshoppers were found in small numbers in rubber and pineapple plantations, they caused “insignificant damage” only to plantain crop.
“Though there are 28,500 grasshopper species across the globe, only 50 of them, including desert locusts, severely damage crops,” Collector Prashant M. Wadnere said in a statement.
“This particular variety found in our district is aularches milliaris, which is usually seen here during this season, and causes minor damages to coconut, teak, mango, plantain and areca nut. These grasshoppers, which cannot fly for longer distances like the desert locusts, can be easily controlled. Hence, there is no need for panic,” the Collector said.
According to experts, 2 ml of malathion, 50% EC or chlorpyrifos, 20% EC should be diluted in a litre of water and sprayed on plants and weeds to control the insects.
