VALPOI
With a plan to control fungal diseases, betel growers in Sattari taluka have started spraying fungicide on betel nut trees.
The main reason for spraying before the rainy season this year is to ensure that the betel nut has been taken care of as there is a possibility of a large number of fungi due to some scattering.
Betel nut is widely grown in Sattari taluka. Thousands of tons of betel nuts are produced every year. This year, however, due to some climatic changes, betel nut fruits have been affected. In the rainy season, this is likely to increase the incidence of fungi. If this happens, the possibility of large betel falling from the tree cannot be ruled out.
Taking special note of this, betel growers have started spraying fungicides. In this regard, spraying is in progress at many farms in the taluka.
Ashok Joshi, a betel nut grower in Hedode, has started spraying fungicides on his farm.
Speaking to The Goan, he said that the drastic climate change this year has adversely affected the production of betel nut. Cracks have been observed on the fruit. As a result, the effects of the fungus are likely to increase significantly during the rainy season. As a precautionary measure, spraying of fungicide has been undertaken.
Currently, the first phase of spraying has been started. The second phase of spraying will be undertaken in July.
Meanwhile, ZAO Valpoi Vishwanath Gavas and Assistant Agriculture Officer Dattaprasad Jog were present and took stock of the situation. When contacted, Divisional Agriculture Officer Vishwanath Gavas said that such fungicides are sprayed during the monsoon season.
This year, betel growers have started spraying some amount of medicine in advance. Currently, the weather is good. Rain is likely to be aggressive at any moment.
Vishwanath Gavas has clarified that if such a drug is sprayed in advance, the betel nut crop will not be destroyed on a large scale.
