Rangpur farmers switching to \\\'light-trap\\\' method from harmful pesticides

RANGPUR, Oct 18:  Eco-friendly 'light-trap' method as an alternative to pesticides is getting popular among the farmers at different villages under Badarganj upazila in Rangpur district as they are attaining significant success in pest management on transplanted Aman paddy by using this natural method.

The farmers in the upazila are getting interested in adopting the method instead of toxic pesticides in protecting their paddy fields from pest attack and they are also financially benefited due to its low cost in comparison with harmful pesticides.

As indiscriminate use of toxic pesticides is threatening the ecology, the field level agriculture officers of Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) began motivating the farmers and helping them with all necessary inputs to apply the eco-friendly light-trap technology and the farmers are already getting good results out of using the method during the current season.

DAE official sources said light-trap is a natural pest management method of paddy crops which requires a lantern, charger light or electric bulb attached with a stick and a pot with detergent and kerosene mixed clear water and the pot is put under the lights in order to lure the insects. Different types of pests are attracted to like fall into the water and die eventually in the homemade pesticide. Types of pest can also be identified by this method as well.

During September and October every year, farmers face serious pest attack and they have to spend additional money to prevent it, because during this time the attack of pests including brown plant hopper increases alarmingly.

Expressing satisfaction several numbers of farmers of different villages in the upazila, told The Financial Express they could not think of any alternative way to control pest except pesticide before. But DAE showed them that pest can also be controlled naturally without using any insecticide. Earlier farmers had to spend about Tk 350 to Tk 400 on pesticides for one bigha of land but they are now able to save money using the effective natural method, they added.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Abdur Rashid said, they have no way but to promote such natural method to protect the soil fertility and ecological balance which are now under serious threat due to indiscriminate uses of pesticides.  They are trying their best to bring all the paddy field of the district under the technology so that the farmers can produce paddy without applying insecticides, he added.

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