Dimapur, July 26 (MExN): ATMA Dimapur Niuland Block conducted demonstration programme at Kikheyi village on July 25 where resource person, Kolom Rabi, SMS (Plant Breeding) KVK-ICAR, Jharnapani spoke on the topic ‘Pests management in maize cultivation.’ He highlighted on the different types of pests and insects that affect maize plants like stem borer, shoot fly, aphids, cutworms, etc and how to control it using monochrotophos, trichocards, heptachlor, etc. Dr. HD Talang, Scientist (Horticulture), ICAR emphasized on ‘IPM in Horticultural crops’ and said that farmers should practice crop rotations, intercropping and other cultural methods to control pests’ infection and not concentrate much on excessive use of pesticides. He mentioned various pests like Diamondback moth, whitefly, fruit borer, aphids and to control it using malathion, diazinon, etc according to the required dose only.
HD Singh, SMS (Horticulture), KVK deliberated on ‘Cultivation Practices of Turmeric’ and ‘Methods of areca nut plantation’ and elaborated on their planting methods, land preparation, seed material, varieties, climate and soil, fertilizers, intercropping, mulching, weeding, irrigation, diseases, harvesting and preservation of seed rhizomes, boiling and drying in case of turmeric. He also cited that Cucurma longa and Nagaland local are the most common varieties cultivated and has good medicinal properties.
The programme attended by 64 farmers was chaired by Demalu Hasnusa, BTM, Niuland Block where he highlighted that under Niuland and Aghunaqa block turmeric is cultivated on a large scale in villages of Hevikhe, Kiyezu A & B, Ghosito, Henito and Hozheto villages but seed rhizomes are brought from bordering Assam and even sold there after harvest due to poor marketing knowledge, bad transportation, communication gap between farmers and departments and unavailability of grinding units.
