G.M. Siddeshwar, Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, has called upon the agricultural scientists to take up research activities on pests and fungi infecting perennial crops, including arecanut and coconut.
Mr. Siddeshwar was speaking at a seminar on horticultural crops at the ongoing Krishi Mela at the University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences (UAHS), Shivamogga, on Sunday.
In recent times, the arecanut yeield was declining drastically owing fruit rot and yellow leaf diseases. Farmers, who cultivate coconut, were also incurring loss due to mite and black-headed caterpillar infection. The climate change and mono-cropping in large tracts of land were being blamed for the outbreak of diseases and attack by pests and fungi, he said.
Solutions suggested by the agricultural scientists for managing the pest and fungal infection in perennial crops in Karnataka had so far not proved effective. The agricultural scientists engaged in research on pest and fungal management should not confine themselves to laboratories but visit the affected plantations at regular intervals and collect information from growers on their experiences with pest management techniques.
It was also essential to re-visit traditional methods of pest and fungal management followed by farmers of yore, he said.
Mr. Siddeshwar stressed the need to provide farmers with training in value addition for agricultural produce. Farmers could form a group and engage in value-addition activities for agricultural produce to enhance their income, he said.
Venkatesh Hubballi, head of the Directorate of Cashewnut and Cocoa Development Board, in his address said that the climate in Malnad region was suitable for cashewnut and cocoa cultivation. The cultivation of both the crops was lucrative. As cashewnut wasn’t water-intensive, it could be cultivated in arid regions of the district. The cocoa cultivation as a mixed crop in arecanut plantations should be popularised, he said.
C. Vasudevappa, Vice-Chancellor of UAHS, Shivamogga, and D.L. Maheshwar, Vice-Chancellor of University of Horticultural Sciences, Bagalkot were present.
Climate change and mono-cropping are reasons for outbreak of crop diseases.
G.M. Siddeshwar,
Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises
