AALO, 27 May: A team of the ICAR’s Basar (Leparada)-based regional centre visited the farmers’ fields in Darka, Kombo Jirdin, Kombo Pomte, Kombo Tarsu, Dego Panya and Kabu villages of West Siang district.
The diagnostic field visit was requested for by the West Siang district agriculture officer.
The team, comprising plant pathology senior scientist Dr Raghuveer Singh, agronomy scientist Dr B Makdoh and plant protection scientist Dr K Suraj Singh, identified brown plant hoppers and rice root weevil as the major pests in the paddy fields.
In the maize fields, fall army worm was identified as the devastating pest.
The team recommended protection measures against pests and diseases, and held a scientists-farmers interaction at every village.
