RAJSHAHI, May 30, 2019 (BSS)- Fruit scientists and researchers have urged the farmers to bring all the litchi farming fields under bio-rational pest management for safe production of the seasonal delicious fruit in the region.
Promotion of bio-rational pest management in litchi farming can be the vital means of ensuring a sound public health and environment as the toxic and chemical pesticides are now being adjudged as the major threats to those. Creating public awareness against the use of toxic insecticides and pesticides can be the effective means of overcoming the existing challenges related to environment pollution.
They came up with the observation while addressing a field day- 2019 titled “Bio-rational Based Management of Insect pest of Litchi” at Anupampur village under Charghat Upazila in the district yesterday.
Entomology Division of Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) hosted the programme in association with its ‘Development and Expansion of Bio-rational-based Integrated Pest Management Technologies of Vegetables, Fruits and Betel Leaf’ project. More than 60 mango farmers took part in the meeting.
Dr Debasish Sarker, Chief Scientific Officer of BARI and Director of the project, addressed the farmers gathering as focal person with its Principal Scientific Officer Dr Alim Uddin in the chair.
Principal Scientific Officers Dr Mokhlesur Rahman and Dr Nirmal Kumar Dutta, Senior Scientific Officers Dr GM Mursheddul Bari and Dr Jagadish Chandra Barman and litchi farmer Sohel Rana also spoke on the occasion.
Dr Debasish Sarker said litchi is one of the major cash crops in Rajshahi region so its image and dignity must be protected through successful application of bio-rational pest management technologies as the government has a policy of ensuring food and nutritional security.
He urged the farmers to follow only the directives of the field level agricultural officials and scientists instead of any insecticide dealers and sellers during the litchi farming from its nursing to fruit harvesting for the sake of a sound public health and environment.
Using chemical pesticides in farming fields is always harmful to soil and public health, crops and environment. So, there is no way but to giving utmost importance towards promoting bio-rational pest management widely.
He told the meeting that BARI has developed a number of bio-rational-based integrated pest management technologies of litchi and has been expanding those to farmers level through various training and motivational programmes.
Dr Sarker also urged the attending farmers to motivate others in this regard through the best uses of their knowledge acquired from the training as holistic efforts is very vital to attain the cherished goal.