BANIYANI, March 1: American armyworms, also called the fall armyworms, have attacked the maize crop at some places in Jhapa district.
The insects are seen at some places in Bahradashi, Arjundhara and Bhadrapur, said Ganesh Shivakoti, agriculture extension officer at the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Jhapa. "The attack is not on a big scale so as to cause massive damage to the crop," he said, adding that necessary insecticide has been sprayed at the sites where the fall armyworms have been detected.
Maize crop destroyed by armyworm
The Agriculture Knowledge Centre has urged the maize farmers to be aware that the fall armyworms’ life cycle becomes more active during sunny days after rainfall.
Meanwhile, the Province 1 government has provided Rs 4.5 million in grants for the promotion of maize farming in Jhapa district. Shivakoti said that the grant is provided for a total 300 hectares at the rate of Rs 15,000 per hectare to scale up maize yield.
(RSS)
