Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Jun 1: Experts in the department of agriculture have undertaken scrutiny of locusts which made an appearance in the agricultural farms in coastal Karnataka all of a sudden and gave rise to worry in the minds of farmers.
These insects were found in a farm in Noojibaltila, Kadaba taluk, and the agricultural farm of a farmer from Beltangady. The farmers have begun to worry at the sight of the locusts devouring a large number of leaves in these farms. Already swarms of such locusts have inflicted heavy losses on farmers in Maharashtra and Rajasthan. The agriculturists who have gathered information about it were shocked at the sight of locusts in their villages. The agricultural officers have visited these farms and collected information.
The locusts have been attacking farms mostly in the evenings on a large scale. When there is sunshine, they get sheltered under the leaves. In that position, if someone touches them, they fall and die. The birds also feast on these locusts. The farmers are worried at the sight of such locusts for the first time in their lives. Vishwanath Hera, who owns a farm, observing that these locusts have been mostly feasting on tender leaves, has predicted that they will be detrimental to the crops grown here in future.
Taking into account tension among the farmers, agricultural experts undertook an inspection of the farms which came under locust attack. They expressed the view that these locusts have visited coastal Karnataka for the first time, duly adding that they are not the ones found in deserts of Pakistan. "There are different types of locusts, and the ones we have found here are quite different. We have collected samples of these locusts which finish off leaves, and also the leaves they have been eating, and sent them for testing," they stated.
The samples have been sent to Agricultural Research Centre at Bengaluru and Central Plantation Crops Research Institute laboratory. The expert from the department at Puttur, Dr Shivashankar expects the report to be received in a week.
The agricultural experts do not have information about the way these locusts can turn detrimental for the crops. Therefore, they have asked farmers to convey to the officials about such happenings promptly.