Root grub death

Two years back a farmer committed suicide near Bellare, Sullia taluk.  It was reported as death due to YLD problem.Nobody asked is YLD attacked any plot in that region. The reality is that his farm was attacked by the root grub problem.
         I mention this incident only to highlight the fact that how much difficult it is to differentiate YLD from root grub problem.

Economics of the treatment, a shock to me

     I had to face two questions from Mr.Shree Padre and Shrenivas Achar yesterday.What is the area of root grub affected plot? How much is the cost of controlling measures ?For the first question I had to depend upon Kumar Sir.For the second one I may calculate it from my experience.
      The problem in assessing the area of root grub affected plot is that lack of knowledge of the problem.Few farmers ,including our political representatives,fail to differentiate between YLD problem and root grub problem. YLD is affected in a few villages,in Sullia it appears in about six villages,almost all plots under its net is attacked.Hence assessing the area and organizing the affected farmers are easy.Even then the total area under YLD is yet to be calculated by the authorities.Root grub problem is not so extensive ,it appears in patches in almost all villages,sandy soil is a favorable condition .Hence the affected farmers can not be united.Assessing the area of affected plots is very difficult.Dr.Kumar estimated that approximately ten percent of the arecanut plots were affected by root grub problem in the Malnad region.
      To calculate the cost of the treatment we have to consider the methodology of the treatment.
[1]  To collect and kill the Bettles in the month of May-June when it emerges from the soil.
                     The work needs expertise and motivation .It cannot be universally adopted. Only a handful of farmers  including ,Begane Kadappa Gowda,Agali Nagesh Rao,adopted this method.I failed to find,not to mention collect,beetles
[2]  To remove grass and weeds from the plot
                      If we use weed cutters one can remove grass from  one acre plot  in one or two days,depending upon the thickness and length of the grass.Operators experience too counts..On the other hand if we used weedicides cost will be cheaper.                      Rs  1250.00-2500.00
[3] To remove organic matters from the plot,then applying insecticides,then reapplying organic matter to the arecanut basin in the July month-15-20 labour days per acre.    Rs3000.00-4000.00
[4]T o do the forking [Agate] work and to remove grubs from the soil manually---30 labour days per acre  in the month of September/October
                                                                                               Rs 6000.00

[5]Cost of the insecticide-------Imidacloprid [Confidar]           Rs1350.00/0.5 liter/acre
                                                fipronil [Regent]                       Rs1240.00/liter/acre
In this way when we count the total cost it comes around Rs 11500.00--14000.00/acre/year
      Most important thing is that we must undertake these measures not only in the affected plot but also in other healthy plots too.Otherwise there will be a risk of grub migration from the treated plot to untreated plot
           All these works are time sensitive ,that means the works must be done in the stipulated time,otherwise it wont give result.
      Earlier I had not calculated the total cost per year.Now I was in a shock,had I spend this much money for this?   The question now is that how many farmers can afford this?   It is not only the question of money, how many farmers could arrange labourers in time bound period?  Is there any other cheaper yet effective method?


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Bacteria application

Dr.Kumar explained the method to use the Bacteria.First we have to cook about a kg boiled rice using a little more water.Afterwords Bacterias must be added to it ,while the temperature was about 90 degrees,and stirred.Later  it was covered properly and  kept for a week.It must be stirred daily.Then the mixture may be diluted or mixed with fertilizers  to apply to the areca basin.Later it must be covered with soil or organic matter.This was my understanding of the method.  We are in the process of doing this.

BACTERIA CONTROL

 Dr.Kumar told with me that he was trying to develop a few Bacteria to control the grubs.He had thousands of Bacterias in his possession from which those Bacterias which could be used for grub control must be identified.He already identified three Bacterias to control grubs in arecanut field,and seven Bacterias to control grubs in the sugarcane field.Good thing with the Bacterias is that it could be multiplied easily by the farmers themselves,may be for a limited period.It will reduce the cost of treatment.But he lacks funds to do that.
      From where the funds needed to do the research could be found was the question.My knowledge was  that from three quarters we can ask funds..From ORGANIC MISSION, CAMPCO Reserch FOUNDATION,AND FROM THE GOVERNMENT.    I doubt that it started  new stories to write.

HURRAY GRUBS ARE UNDER CONTROL

   Last week Dr.Kumar came to my plot. As usual sampling was done.He observed that number of grubs which may had been there at the time of insecticide application was drastically reduced.But new fresh grubs were found.He said that from the size of the grubs it may be L.lepidophora or some other species which were not root grubs.The size was so small that identification was difficult.
   On my question, he said that earlier it was believed that only one type of the grubs were in one field. But in some places it was observed that when Burmistry was controlled Lepidophora  attack started.What happened in my plot could be answered only after a few months.
    Since the number of grubs found was very small he advised me that this year forking[agate] is not necessary.I became very happy person now because finally he too agreed that the problem came under control.

reapplying organic matter to the basin

After reapplying organic matter to the basin it is important to apply insecticide to the place where the organic matter was kept

applying insecticide to the plot ,walking backwords

applying insecticide to the basin of the plant

After applying insecticide to the basin of the plant we refilled the basin with the organic matter which was earlier removed.

aplying insectside through rose can

burmistry beetle

burmistry beetle

The Burmistry beetle,it has whitish colour,larger in size.the other one ,which is smaller in size is coniophora beetle ,which is also a rootgrub beetle

eggs of rootgrub

The eggs of root grub.    Eggs of root grub has white colour,while eggs of earthworm is not so white,looks dull,transparent.

At last we found beetles.

On May 18 one of my worker brought one beetle to my house.And it was burmistry beetle.He said that a good number of such beetles were there in his farm yard.Last year he had seen hund

reds of beetles in one plant,he said.There after he collected as much as beetles he can.

On June 19 Dr.A.R.V.Kumar came and took samples for grub activity.That night we went to that workers house to collect beetles.We found around 20 beetles in one cashew plant.But the surprise is that beetles preferred one single cashew plant.It could not be seen in other cashew plants.The next day again that worker ,Koragappa Gowda,brought few more beetles.Dr.Prakash told that most of it was female one.

One good thing happened this time is that we learnt to differentiate male from female beetles.I think this will be considered as our major achievement in due course.

In my plot we found very little grubs around 30,in samples but about 40 eggs were collected from different spot.Dr.Kumar told that this is a cause for concern.And he asked to carry insecticide application this year too.I hope that this will be the last insecticide application to control rootgrub problem.

Emergence of the beetle

      I had been asked by Dr. Prakash to keep record of the rainfall this year.Not the amount of rain but the date of it.Earlier someone told that beetles emerge exactly after two inches of rain.Whether it is in inches or centimeters I don't remember now.This year first rain came on 29 march.About 15 minutes of rain that I consider equivalent   to one  time irrigation.Second good rain came on10 April.Beetles started to emerge after 7 April.After 18 April we had very good rain almost everyday for about a week.I went to the plot for a few day's in the evening to observe the beetle activity.
    I failed to observe beetles in the plot.But there are a lot of beetles nearby rubber plantation.The beetles which we found was not Burmistry.Those beetles were smaller than burmistry and may be grey [or brown]colour.Another limitation for me to observe beetles was that my plot has filled with grass.
   Don't understand how those people-Begane Kadappa Gowda,Agali Nagesh Rao collects beetle in their plot.

The farmer's program in Nada village

This is how they conducted a farmer's training program at farmer's plantation

A farmer's training

           After a long time I have a wish to write something.Two month's back I had participated in a training program conducted by C.P.C.R.I.Vittal.The program was held at Mr.Prabhakara Maiyya's plot in Nada village ,Belthangadi Taluk.
             In my opinion any training in agricultural field must be done in the plantation itself.But although this training was in a farmers plot they built a closed room with shamiyana  and for enough air circulation fan's were running.Dr.Ravi Bhat started the discussion and gave a few important notes on arecanut farming.I am concerned with two thing's.One to learn cocoa pruning and another to see what Prabhakar did in his plot to control root grub.Earlier he talked in one radio program about root grub control.
            After Ravi Bhat finished his talking's Entomologist Dr.Keshava Bhat took the microphone.Incidentally he had to talk about root grub control.He said that first we have to remove everything from the basin of the plant.Then about 10-15 liter's of chloropyriphose with water in the ratio 5ml per liter shall be poured in the basin.This must be done in the month of May and September,two times in a year.That means 50-75ml insecticide per plant per application.I am glad that I had to use only 4ml per plant per year in one application.
           Later Mr.Maiyya talked about his experimentation with root grub control.According to him he came to know about the problem when the workers reported that the grass in the plot was dying.Death of the grass due to root grub and not of the arecanut plant's.I read in some American website that  grub affects grass in the golf club. In my plot I have enough grass and I never observed this death of the grasses.That too in the month of May.According to my observation the problem show's it self after the rainy season has ended.In the month of May ,that is after a few rains, plant's start to become greener and healthy.May be I am wrong because my knowledge is very limited,MAY BE HE IS A FRAUD TELLING LIES.
      Mr.Prabhakara Maiyya  was declared as the best arecanut farmer in Dakshina Kannada district for the year 2010 by the C.P.C.R.I.Vittal and got a felicitation at Krishi Mela held at G.K.V.K. Bangalore