Chickpea Crop Under Threat: Pod Borer Causes 25% Loss, Farmers Advised Timely Spraying

• Palamu district, a major agricultural region in Jharkhand, relies heavily on chickpea cultivation as a key income source for farmers.
• Rising temperatures increase the risk of pod borer infestation, a green insect that bores into chickpea pods and consumes grains.
• Scientist Uday Kumar Singh from Krishi Vigyan Kendra Chiyanki warns that pod borers can destroy 20-25% of the crop, leading to significant financial losses for farmers.
• Farmers are advised to use neem-based pesticides (5 ml per liter of water) weekly for organic control.
• For severe infestations, chemical pesticide Imidacloprid (1 ml per liter of water) should be sprayed twice at 20-day intervals, ideally after a neem-based spray, for up to 90% control.