Saturday 23 October, 2010
Thursday 19 August, 2010
This plot belongs to Narayana Rai in Markanja.
Monday 9 August, 2010
The Mystery
Yes, I said that root grubs in my plot is reducing.But how? Is it from the insecticide application? If it is so from which insecticide?
Last year my plot was divided into six parts and each part had different insecticide treatment.Amongst them one part was left untreated.This year we could see reduced number of grubs in the whole plot.Even in the plot where no insecticide was applied,grubs number is reduced.Then the question remains-which insecticide did the wonders? I do not know. I think that if the methodology and time is maintained any good soil insecticide will do the work.It is for the scientists to explain.
One thing must be clarified.Still grubs are there in my plot.If the treatment last year was a failure young larvae of the last year will grow to adult and we could find a large number of third instar or adult grub this year.If the treatment was a success young larvae's of that year would die,but adult grubs will remain.That grubs will go to pupa stage and then became beetle.The beetles will emerge from the soil in the month of May or June and will lay eggs in the soil. Larvae's will emerge from the eggs later and hence we have young larvae's in the plot.When we say that reduced number of grubs we mean reduced number of grown grubs.
Then what is the effect of nematodes in the plot? Earlier I said that I had seen dead grubs in the plastic basket due to nematodes. But the problem is we cannot find dead grubs in the plot.Because if any grubs died in the plot it will decompose in the soil.Then how can we attribute reduced number of grubs to nematodes?Even with the nematodes,as Dr.Nagesh told adult grubs would not die easily.
Even if the grub problem seems to be reduced and I am now very happy person several questions were unanswered.Normally when I say grub problem is controlled I face one question-which insecticide did it? Frankly I could not answer.
Last year my plot was divided into six parts and each part had different insecticide treatment.Amongst them one part was left untreated.This year we could see reduced number of grubs in the whole plot.Even in the plot where no insecticide was applied,grubs number is reduced.Then the question remains-which insecticide did the wonders? I do not know. I think that if the methodology and time is maintained any good soil insecticide will do the work.It is for the scientists to explain.
One thing must be clarified.Still grubs are there in my plot.If the treatment last year was a failure young larvae of the last year will grow to adult and we could find a large number of third instar or adult grub this year.If the treatment was a success young larvae's of that year would die,but adult grubs will remain.That grubs will go to pupa stage and then became beetle.The beetles will emerge from the soil in the month of May or June and will lay eggs in the soil. Larvae's will emerge from the eggs later and hence we have young larvae's in the plot.When we say that reduced number of grubs we mean reduced number of grown grubs.
Then what is the effect of nematodes in the plot? Earlier I said that I had seen dead grubs in the plastic basket due to nematodes. But the problem is we cannot find dead grubs in the plot.Because if any grubs died in the plot it will decompose in the soil.Then how can we attribute reduced number of grubs to nematodes?Even with the nematodes,as Dr.Nagesh told adult grubs would not die easily.
Even if the grub problem seems to be reduced and I am now very happy person several questions were unanswered.Normally when I say grub problem is controlled I face one question-which insecticide did it? Frankly I could not answer.
Friday 6 August, 2010
SMELLING SUCCESS
As I was waiting for the scientists to visit my plot,Dr.Nagesh came in the month of July.He brought nematodes with him to apply.Along with my plot he applied them in the plot of Ashoka Bhat,Mairaje's plot too.
After one week Dr.Kumar sir along with Dr.Prakash and Papanna came.They went to Jagajeevan Rao's plot and gave suggestion to him in controlling the root grub.His plot is waterlogged and they asked him to immediately fork the land and remove the grubs manually.Afterwords he shall apply Imidacloprid to his plot.Then they went to Mairaje Ashoika Bhat's plot . There they could not collect enough grubs . Afterwords they came to my plot .We find very little grub activity this year.If the first application of the chemical was a failure we must had a large number of adult grubs in the plot. But what we had is only small[first instar] grubs. Very few adult grubs were seen. Scientists were pleased with the result. Dr. Kumar sir said that second application is not necessary.But to avert any human error in the sampling procedure ,they asked me to do second application. This year his preference is fipronil insecticide.
Arranging workers is another story. But however workers came this week and I started the work.I need a little more days to complete the application.Even workers too,who had seen my plot earlier,agrees to the fact that the plot is improved a lot.
Earlier we applied 20ml of chloropyiriphose per plant without success. But this year we could smell success with only 4ml chloropyiriphose per plant.This itself shows that timing and methodology of application is very important in controlling the grub problem.
After one week Dr.Kumar sir along with Dr.Prakash and Papanna came.They went to Jagajeevan Rao's plot and gave suggestion to him in controlling the root grub.His plot is waterlogged and they asked him to immediately fork the land and remove the grubs manually.Afterwords he shall apply Imidacloprid to his plot.Then they went to Mairaje Ashoika Bhat's plot . There they could not collect enough grubs . Afterwords they came to my plot .We find very little grub activity this year.If the first application of the chemical was a failure we must had a large number of adult grubs in the plot. But what we had is only small[first instar] grubs. Very few adult grubs were seen. Scientists were pleased with the result. Dr. Kumar sir said that second application is not necessary.But to avert any human error in the sampling procedure ,they asked me to do second application. This year his preference is fipronil insecticide.
Arranging workers is another story. But however workers came this week and I started the work.I need a little more days to complete the application.Even workers too,who had seen my plot earlier,agrees to the fact that the plot is improved a lot.
Earlier we applied 20ml of chloropyiriphose per plant without success. But this year we could smell success with only 4ml chloropyiriphose per plant.This itself shows that timing and methodology of application is very important in controlling the grub problem.
Tuesday 8 June, 2010
Inital result
I could not write anything for a long period,because I didn't had mood for that.In addition to that what I could write is the result of the treatment. After the treatment ,in the month of September Dr.Prakash of G.K.V.K.Bangalore came to the plot and searched for grubs.He declared that grub population was decreased very much and the treatment was a success. But I had my own doubt .The plot was treated with six different methods using five chemicals.Further a portion was kept untreated In which chemical the control was the highest ? In my opinion the plots treated with chloropyriphos,phipronil,imidacloprid and a mixture of imidacloprid and fipronil gave good result.But the surprise element is that grubs in the untreated plot also reduced. But how? A month after Kumar sir also came and searched for the grubs.He also said the same thing.He was satisfied with the result.He gave one clue for my doubt.Whenever we searching for the grubs we destroy the grubs which we collected.In this way a good number of grubs were eliminated from every plot.
Kumar sir asked me to carry the work of forking the land to collect remaining grubs. I could arrange the workers only in the month of December .We got on an average one grub per plant in the plots which were treated with either chloropyriphos,fipronil,imidacloprid.In other plots and untreated plots we got three grubs per plant. Scientists may differ with me ,because they say every C-shaped grub need not be root grub but we farmers consider it as root grub.But any how the number of grubs is considerably reduced is certain.
Now I am confident of controlling grub problem. This confidence came after ten years ,after frustration,after humiliation in the society.Thanks to Kalam sir and the Scientists who were responsible for this.
Months passed and in the month of May I wanted to remove the existing banana plants and replant it.Workers said that when they remove the banana plants they found a few ,three to four ,grubs in it.This helped to understand the still grub infected areas.And this activity removed a huge number of grubs from the plot.
Now I think that second application of the pesticide is necessary this year.And this will bring the grub problem completely under control.Yet to see what Kumar sir says.Another interesting feature is that we found the number of beetles coming to the light in the night is drastically reduced this year.Whether this has anything to do with our treatment I don't know.
Kumar sir asked me to carry the work of forking the land to collect remaining grubs. I could arrange the workers only in the month of December .We got on an average one grub per plant in the plots which were treated with either chloropyriphos,fipronil,imidacloprid.In other plots and untreated plots we got three grubs per plant. Scientists may differ with me ,because they say every C-shaped grub need not be root grub but we farmers consider it as root grub.But any how the number of grubs is considerably reduced is certain.
Now I am confident of controlling grub problem. This confidence came after ten years ,after frustration,after humiliation in the society.Thanks to Kalam sir and the Scientists who were responsible for this.
Months passed and in the month of May I wanted to remove the existing banana plants and replant it.Workers said that when they remove the banana plants they found a few ,three to four ,grubs in it.This helped to understand the still grub infected areas.And this activity removed a huge number of grubs from the plot.
Now I think that second application of the pesticide is necessary this year.And this will bring the grub problem completely under control.Yet to see what Kumar sir says.Another interesting feature is that we found the number of beetles coming to the light in the night is drastically reduced this year.Whether this has anything to do with our treatment I don't know.
Tuesday 23 February, 2010
Thursday 11 February, 2010
Friday 15 January, 2010
One day I got a call from Dr.Yadu Kumar of cashew research station,Puttur.He informed me that one Dr.Nagesh is visiting your plot tomorrow.I do 
not remember the date.The next day Dr. Nagesh came to my plot. He said that he is from P.D.B.C.Bangalore.That institution is established by the central government and is trying to find solutions to the farmers problems in organic way.Further he said that there is a few nematodes which eats root grubs and he want to test it in my plot. Nematodes were not a new one, but quality in commercial availability may not be superior . He brought two types of nematodes,the names of which I do not remember.Although he penned it down in a paper for me ,it was not readable for me.He asked me to observe the treated plants periodically and collect the dead grubs if I got it.Dr.Shailesh was also with him. Ravi was assisting their work.
In my plot he applied one type of nematode . I showed him another plot in Markanja.That plot belongs to Mairaje Ashok Bhat and his plot has Lepidaphora grub.Dr.Nagesh applied another nematode in Ashok Bhat's plot.
After around a week I got a dead grub in the plot.In addition to plant application we applied it in a plastic basket where we put some live grubs with soil. Regularly I found one or two dead grubs in the basket.But I could not found any dead grubs in the plot further.I send him the photos of the dead grub and he confirmed it for nematode killings.
But in the plot of Ashok Bhat it was another story. He said that only one grub died in about a week but no other grub mortality could be seen further.
They came again after a few months and collected the soil samples .They afterwords informed me that nematodes was well established in the plot .It will develop itself and kill whatever root grubs found in its way.
I don't know what to say. I had seen dead grubs in the plastic basket. The nematodes took almost a month to kill about 15 grubs in the basket.I think that the process may be even slow in the plot.Even though it kills grubs what dosage we may have to apply to get quick result in the plot? Dr.Nagesh says that we must flood the plot initially.But what may be the cost? Don't know.But anyhow it survives in the plot if moister condition is maintained.Hence in my opinion it is best to treat the plot with chemicals first and after we control the grubs we can apply nematodes to prevent the recurrence of the grub problem.
not remember the date.The next day Dr. Nagesh came to my plot. He said that he is from P.D.B.C.Bangalore.That institution is established by the central government and is trying to find solutions to the farmers problems in organic way.Further he said that there is a few nematodes which eats root grubs and he want to test it in my plot. Nematodes were not a new one, but quality in commercial availability may not be superior . He brought two types of nematodes,the names of which I do not remember.Although he penned it down in a paper for me ,it was not readable for me.He asked me to observe the treated plants periodically and collect the dead grubs if I got it.Dr.Shailesh was also with him. Ravi was assisting their work.In my plot he applied one type of nematode . I showed him another plot in Markanja.That plot belongs to Mairaje Ashok Bhat and his plot has Lepidaphora grub.Dr.Nagesh applied another nematode in Ashok Bhat's plot.
After around a week I got a dead grub in the plot.In addition to plant application we applied it in a plastic basket where we put some live grubs with soil. Regularly I found one or two dead grubs in the basket.But I could not found any dead grubs in the plot further.I send him the photos of the dead grub and he confirmed it for nematode killings.
But in the plot of Ashok Bhat it was another story. He said that only one grub died in about a week but no other grub mortality could be seen further.
They came again after a few months and collected the soil samples .They afterwords informed me that nematodes was well established in the plot .It will develop itself and kill whatever root grubs found in its way.
I don't know what to say. I had seen dead grubs in the plastic basket. The nematodes took almost a month to kill about 15 grubs in the basket.I think that the process may be even slow in the plot.Even though it kills grubs what dosage we may have to apply to get quick result in the plot? Dr.Nagesh says that we must flood the plot initially.But what may be the cost? Don't know.But anyhow it survives in the plot if moister condition is maintained.Hence in my opinion it is best to treat the plot with chemicals first and after we control the grubs we can apply nematodes to prevent the recurrence of the grub problem.
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