The Seminar

The seminar was to be held on 22-2-09 at local government school.Dr.Kumar came to Markanja on 20-2-09 evening after visiting Jedla Shreedhr Bhats plot.Next day he applied few bio controllers in my plot as an experiment. At the same time Dr.Ghosh from Pest control India too visited my plot. He gave metarizium anisapole of their company and applied it in a basket with grubs mixed with cow dung.He remained with us for the whole day.After treatment in my plot we visited about five farmers plot in the village which was affected by the grub problem.One of the plot visited was affected by yellow leaf disease.At the same time under the guidance of Mapalthota Krishna Bhat a few persons along with the students and teachers of the school made arrangments for the seminar in the school.Mapalthota Subraya Bhat brought vegitables and other things needed for the lunch. Next day,that is Sunday,we went to the school at 9 am. Several farmers brought grubs collected from their plot.Dr.Kumar identified all grubs brought as of bermistry variety except one.That was brought from Mairaje of Markanja village and it was lepidaphora variety.Those attended the seminar includes Dr.Anand and Dr.Ravi Bhat of C.P.C.R.I.Vittal,Dr.Hanumanthappa and Dr.Virendra Kumar of K.V.K.Manglore,Dr.Shivanna of K.V.K.Brahmavar. Badanaje Shankar Bhat,Shrinivas Achar,Padar Ramakrishna Shastri,also attended. Amongst the farmers a good number of them came from other taluks like Puttur, Belthangady, Karkala,Manglore. Around 250 farmers were present in the seminar.I am sorry if I have omitted any other persons name whom I must mention here.Using slides Dr.Kumar explained the life cycle of the grub ,efforts done to control it and his methodology to control the problem.Farmers were actively participated with their questions. I am going to write the gist of his talking at another place. Almost all press persons who were in Sullia and Etv and Suvarna news channel's reporters too were present. Media highlighted the program and thus very good after coverage too got to the seminar. The local M.L.A. S. Angara came to the seminar on his own. After a few minutes of listening to Kumars talking he invited all scientists to a room and asked them what must be done from the government side to control this problem.After Kumar sir gave his opinion I asked for a Lab for Sullia to help farmers. But they were politicians and I am told in later days that he did nothing afterwords. But on the whole the seminar was a huge success and most of the farmers participated were seem to be happy. From my side I was happy since the seminar brought down a few myths associated with grub problem.

root grub

 
This grub is eating the root of the plants.In the early stage it eats organic matter.At that time it is easy to kill it as it is on top of the soil.In the second stage it will enter soil.Then it is difficult to kill it

larvae of beetle,the root grub

 
This grub is developed one Its colour is nearing yellow. This shows that it has acquired fat in it and is preparing to enter the pupa stage.No chemical will kill it now.But a soft pressure on it is enough to kill it.

pupa of root grub which damaged my plot

 

Dr.A.R.V.Kumar

 

He is a scientist. An entomologist in G.K.V.K.Bangalore

kumara parvata trekking

 
 
 
 

I am just learning to upload photos.Hence this one

THE CALLS

Meanwhile I must mention a few calls and contacts which I had to take. Jedla Shreedhara Bhat of Sampaje called and narrated his experience with scientists in controlling the yellow leaf decease.Scientists would come at 12pm and do something ,dig here and there,and return at 1pm .After a few visits by them, his attempt to bring them failed because his workers refused to work with them.He had a large collection of printed materials concerning the problem.His argument is that yellow leaf and root grub is the same problem.To support his opinion he collected a good number of root grubs in a bottle.Another achievement was that he found another nematode inside the root of arecanut plant.I visited his plot.His income,as he said,reduced to 25 percent.Now he is shifting to rubber cultivation. IF A FARMER DECIDES TO SHIFT HIS CROP, BECAUSE HE CANNOT FIND SOLUTION TO HIS PROBLEM,IS IT NOT THE FAILURE OF CONCERNED SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY-in this case of C.P.C.R.I.VITTAL? But a call from Mumbai gave me strength.The caller called just to support morally.He said that through one of his friend he knows the manner of Kalam sir. Kalam sir personally reads every letter he receives. Another caller from Belthangady criticized me. You,literates ,find solution through emails,but what about illiterates and poor was his question.I informed him that the seminar is being conducted for the help of others and not for me.Some farmers told their affort ,some success and some failures,in controlling the grubs.Success stories generally involved the application of laterite soil.An aged farmer from Alike,near Vittal,posted a letter to me .His plot too was affected by rootgrubs 30 years back.He controlled it by using chlorodon.Farmers must help one another was his statement. Some farmers simply wont understood the article.They asked with me the solution to grub problem,some other wanted to know solution to other problems they face. Personally my greatest loss was that I could not irrigate the plot for two weeks.Due to that some plants died afterwords. I had to tell this because of some persons reaction which I heard. I was conducting the seminar for my own profit,to promote me personally,to get publicity etc. With all these experiences we are ready to conduct the seminar.