KAZIRANGA, Sept 11 - The State Government has taken the issue of sudden appearance of Army worm, also called Swarming Caterpillar in the paddy fields on a massive scale under Bokakhat subdivision, including Kaziranga area, seriously and directed a high-power team to assess the situation at the infested area and initiate required measures to control the situation at the earliest.
According to Pradip Gogoi from the Bokakhat Agriculture Department, the situation in other areas like Kumargoan area is very grim as the scale of caterpillar attack is very high and it is in an epidemic form. The situation in Kaziranga area is also alarming, but not epidemic form as of now. Gogoi also informed that 480 litres of Choloropyrifox, which is a systemic poison and takes about three days to control the caterpillar attack, has already been distributed among the farmers of Bokakhat subdivision.
About 30 litres has been distributed in Kaziranga area. Contact poison like Cypermethrine can also be used since it can control the caterpillar attack quickly.
Further, the farmers can go for spraying of Malathion power in the areas where there is no sign of Army worm attack. Malathion acts as a barricade and prevents the caterpillar from invading new crop areas.
