Stem borer, pest that usually targets jowar and maize, attacks wheat crop in Saurashtra

The 38-year-old farmer, who has studied till Class VII, adds that he has already sprayed pesticides thrice and yet it is not helping. “Somehow, plants still look yellowish instead of the usual dark green colour,” he says.

AL Sojitra, District Agricultural Officer (DAO) of Rajkot, said, “There are reports of sporadic attacks of stem borers in the district. Stem borer infestation in wheat can be called a new pest for this crop as it generally attacks jowar. However, the incidence of infestation is sporadic and this pest can be easily controlled by spraying cypermethrin pesticide.”

Sojitra further said that there were also reports of stem borer infestation in wheat last year. “But it was on a minor scale last time as well. This year, the infestation seems to have increased by a few notches,” the officer said, adding, “Generally, farmers avoid spraying pesticides in wheat as it is a cereal crop.”

As per the latest sowing data released by the Directorate of Agriculture (DAG) of Gujarat on Monday, farmers have completed sowing wheat in 10.73 lakh hectares (lh). This is around 81 per cent of the previous three years’ average sowing area ( 13 lakh hectares).

Saurashtra region’s 11 districts accounted for 3.71 lh or about a third of the state’s total wheat acreage. Rajkot figured on the top in the region with a sowing area of 78,500 hectares (ha). Only Ahmedabad (1.11 lh) and Sabarkantha (84,500 ha) districts had reported wheat sowing in an area larger than that of Rajkot.

Ashwin Pansuriya, in-charge research scientist of Wheat Research Station of Junagadh Agricultural University (JAU) in Junagadh, said the pests could have shifted from other crops due to weather conditions. “Sporadic attacks by stem borers could be due to weather. But it is not a serious attack and the pests could have transferred from maize, another crop which is susceptible to this pest,” Pansuriya said, adding that sporadic attacks of aphids have also been reported.

Farmers are also battling with stunted growth and lack of tillering or sprouting of lateral shoots from the base of wheat plants and Pansuriya ascribed this to a rather hot November. “Wheat sown early in the season, that is before mid-November, had a lower germination rate and stunted vegetative growth due to hot weather as it has been observed that winter sets in late and withdraws early. But fields in which wheat was sown late in November seem good,” the expert said.

Saurashtra is a water-starved area and many farmers sow wheat even in October as they race against depleting aquifers that provide irrigation water. Others with plans to grow a third crop in March-April also sow their winter crops early so that they can harvest their spring crops before the arrival of monsoon rain.

The weather conditions and pest attacks have meant increased cultivation costs for farmers.

Dhanji Dobariya, a farmer from Dhebar village in Visavadar taluka of Junagadh district, sowed wheat in 12 bighas in the first week of November and in another eight bighas in the third week of November. Crop in 12 bigha field at the heading stage when heads emerge from flag leaf.

But instead of the usual one dose of urea, he has already given two so far. “I gave one dose of urea 25 days after sowing. But the crop didn’t look good as there was not enough fruit (tillering). So, I gave another dose at 45 days, hoping it will boost vegetative growth,” Dobariya said, adding, “Generally, I give one dose of urea to my wheat crop and that proves sufficient. But this year, even after two doses the crop have not helped, and I am afraid yields will remain very low.”

He, however, added that wheat sown late in November seemed comparatively better.