The wheat crop sown without stalk gets attacked by pink borer insect, due to which the wheat crop starts drying up.

Bathinda: The wheat crop sown without burning the stubble has now been attacked by pink insect. Although the attack of pink caterpillar has been seen only in a few places, but this attack is likely to increase in the next few days. It is being told that the reason for the attack of pink borer on the already sown wheat crop is due to extreme heat in the weather. Farmers are worried about the attack of pink insect on wheat crop. Agriculture Department officials say that the attack being seen on the wheat crop is caused by the pink bollworm attacking paddy, whereas the pink bollworm attacking rice is different. Farmers Jaspal Singh and Iqbaljit Singh of Puhali village in the district said that following the orders of the Agriculture Department and the Punjab Government, they had sown wheat directly by managing the stubble with a super seeder, but now the roots of the wheat crop have become infected. Invasion with pink smut is being seen. He told that he had sown wheat through super seeder about 12, 13 days ago. The wheat sown in his field has germinated, but when he inspected his wheat carefully, he found that the roots of the wheat crop have been attacked by the pink borer insect, due to which the wheat crop has started drying up. Farmers said that if he poured water on the crop, the growth of wheat would stop. The farmer told that due to the outbreak of pink caterpillar he is spraying insecticide. Seeing the attack of pink borer on the roots of wheat crop in some fields of Puhali village of the district, other farmers have also become alert. Inspection of early sown crops has been started by the farmers themselves. On the other hand, Agriculture Department officials told the farmers that there is no need to panic, rather they should water the wheat crop and spray pesticides if necessary. State General Secretary of Bharatiya Kisan Union Lakhowal Tikait, Sarup Singh Rama said that the Punjab government should solve the problem of paddy straw.

Attack in Sundi due to extreme heat: Department

Regarding this matter, Agriculture Development Officer Dr. Baljinder Singh said that this attack of caterpillar has happened due to extreme heat in the weather. He said that the pink paddy weevil lays its eggs only where it thinks its children will find something green to eat. Therefore it lays its eggs in the roots of wheat crop. Now a caterpillar has been born from the same eggs. He said that wherever such complaints are received, the Agriculture Department will go to the fields and advise the farmers to spray pesticides.