Puttur: Flowery Weed Adds to Woes of Areca Nut Farmers, Robs Their Sleep
Report and pics: Arun Uppinangady
Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur (SP)
Puttur, Jul 21: The areca nut farmers, who are reeling under the onslaught of problems like power shortage, labour shortage, rotting disease etc., that they have been struggling with since the last several years, have a new problem at hand. The stubborn weeds that look like creepers bearing yellow flowers, which they had never encountered in the past, have been giving them sleepless nights of late.
The daughter of Padmaya Gowda from Kengudelu House in Kokkada village was attracted by a creeper bearing yellow flowers she saw two years ago. She planted a piece of the creeper in her flower garden. The creeper has since occupied every inch of about an acre of the garden now. Even after the creepers are pulled out and destroyed, the creepers start re-growing within two months.
The affected farmers have met the officials of the horticulture department to find out ways and means of getting rid of this weed. The officials opine, that the creepers, which spread like runners, get regenerated through their stems. No pesticides or insecticides will have any affect on these creepers and some control can be exercised, if they are cut down with the help of grass cutters often, they say, adding that cut down creepers work as good fertilizer for the areca nut plantations. The officials as of now have no clue how this particular weed can be destroyed.
Many areca plantations are withering under the onslaught of these weeds and their harvest has been greatly affected. The farmers, who are already facing the dearth of labourers, can not hope to find additional workers to root out the weeds frequently. They also can not afford to hire grass cutters by paying hourly rental of Rs 150. Padmaiah Gowda, who raises mixed crops of areca, coconut, banana and pepper, has been frustrated by this weed, which has been raising its ugly head time and again, although he has repeatedly pulled out the weeds over 20 times in the last two years, besides spraying chemicals on the weed, as per the advice of the horticultural department officials.
In addition to the weeds, a unique borer worm that rigs holes in the roots of the trees, has come as a nightmare for the areca nut farmers. Once this pest affects one tree, it has the potential to destroy the whole plantation within days. None of the pesticides have helped the farmers to control this borer. Plantations of Mattayi, Kuriyacchan and Verghese in Kumpakallu area have come under severe attack by the borers. The farmers are frustrated as spraying of lime mix, a pesticide named Furadan, sulpher etc., have not had a desired effect on them. These worms, which look like the worms found in organic manure, start eating up the roots of the trees, resulting in the draining of nutrients, culminating in the destruction of the trees.
Will the department of horticulture understand the urgency of the situation, conduct researches and come to the rescue of the harassed farmers by providing them an affective remedy? No one has a reply to this question, at least for the present.