A day-long training on controlling bacterial wilt disease in brinjal crop was organised under the auspices of Krishi Vigyan Kendra at Vamban near here on Monday. A group of scientists explained the procedure to be adopted to check the wilt.
R. Gnanamalar, Professor and Head, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, said brinjal, cultivated on 600 hectares in the district, was prone to bacterial wilt attack. The problem was more pronounced in Vallakulam Kothakottai village near Tiruvarangulam. She said continuous raising of brinjal, without crop rotation technique, often resulted in the problem. She advised farmers to adhere to crop rotation technique by planting cereals such as sorghum or pearl millet (kambu). Maize and cotton could also be raised.
R. Manimekalai, Programne Coordinator, said water-logging was another problem leading to the bacterial wilt. She said the bacteria also infected chillies, ginger, radish and tomato crops.
A demonstration was conducted in which scientists explained the symptoms of wilt and steps to control them. S. Mathiyazhagan, Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology, advised farmers to clear the infected plant from the fields. Application of farm yard manure would go a long way in improving the soil, he said.
For further details, farmers can dial 99445 20544 or 04322 290321 during working hours.