Farmers are concerned about their agricultural yield as the most devastating plant disease ‘blast’ has spread its tentacles on paddy crops spread in hundreds of hectares area in Bastar district creating a new headache for agriculture department officials as well as most of the blocks of Bastar district sent SOS call to them.
Notably, due to brisk monsoon season, this kharif season paddy plantation has been done in around 1 lakh 15 thousand hectares area in different blocks of Bastar, but even after knowing well about the danger posed by this potential crop spoiler disease, no preventive measure was taken either by farmers or the agriculture department.
However, Agriculture department deputy director A P Patel told this correspondent that all Agriculture Extension Officers (REOs) has been instructed to inform farmers about the disease and also suggest control measures. Notably, ‘Blast’ disease is caused by bacteria Pyricularia Oryzae Cavara and can affect the rice plant at any stage due to which leaves of paddy dry up immaturely or even the entire plant dry up completely if corrective measures are not taken in time. Due to this disease 70 to 80 percent loss in crop yield is feared. According to sources, 40 to 50 hectares of paddy crop both in Tokapal and lohandiguda blocks alone is affected by this disease even as agriculture department sources claimed that 125 hectares of paddy crop comprising all seven development blocks of the district is affected with the ‘Blast’ disease.