Perching pest management becomes popular

RANGPUR, Aug 30 (BSS): The eco-friendly perching method of pest management while farming Aman rice has become popular among farmers to produce more hygienic rice in Rangpur agriculture region.
Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said farmers are reducing application of insecticides through applying both live and dead perching methods to save their growing Aman rice plants from pests' attacks to get enhanced paddy yield at a low cost.
"Farmers are reaping benefits from adopting the eco-friendly perching method in combating pests' attacks on growing Aman paddy plants," Additional Director of DAE for Rangpur region Agriculturist Md. Emdad Hossain Sheikh said.
Adopting the perching method, farmers have already set up bamboo poles or branches of trees on 3,96,370 hectares of growing Aman paddy fields till Monday against a target of bringing 6,12,660 hectares of cultivated land area under the method in the region. The DAE had fixed a target of bringing 6,15,685 hectares of land under Aman paddy cultivation, and of them, 6,12,660 hectares of cultivated land area will be brought under perching method of pest management this season.
"Farmers have already brought 1,06,100 hectares of land under the live and 2,90,270 hectares of land under dead perching methods while cultivating Aman paddy as the process continues," Hossain said.
Following motivational and training activities being conducted by the DAE, farmers are expanding adoption of the low-cost, effective and eco-friendly method in saving Aman paddy plants from pests' attack at different stages to get more hygienic rice output.
Senior Coordinator (Agriculture and Environment) of RDRS Bangladesh Agriculturist Mamunur Rashid said random uses of pesticides are threatening the ecosystems causing extinction of many indigenous species of fishes, beneficial insects and birds.
"Adopting the perching method, farmers erect bamboo poles or tree branches on Aman paddy fields at a particular distance so that birds could perch on those and eat pests which are harmful to paddy plants to protect the crop reducing use of pesticides," Rashid added.
Talking to the news agency, farmers Mominul Haque, Abdul Jabbar, Nurul Amin and Abdul Hye of different villages in Rangpur said they are adopting the perching method which helps to produce more hygienic rice, minimising cost of insecticides and saving the environment.
Farmer Manik Mian of the Darshona area in Rangpur Sadar said, "Birds perch on the poles and eat harmful pests on the growing Aman paddy plants in his crop fields".
"Farmers now know how to protect growing Aman paddy plants from pests' attack and save money using the perching method," Manik said, adding that application of the method has really been productive and profitable.
Farmers Dulal Chandra, Aiyub Ali and Golam Hossain of Taraganj upazila in Rangpur said that many birds perch on the poles on their growing Aman paddy fields to eat insects protecting the tender rice plants to ensure healthier growth.