India: Scientists help pomegranate growers
According to renowned plant pathologist I V Benagi, diseases like bacterial blight, wilt complex, fruit rot (anthracnose), leaf and fruit spots and Insect pests like pomegranate butterfly, stem borer, shot hole borer, leaf eating caterpillar, mealy bugs,thrips, aphid, mites, white fly, fruit sucking moths, nematodes and disorders like fruit cracking sun scald and internal breakdown of arils were causing serious problems for growers.
Horticultural scientists V B Nargund, R A Balikai and M R Ravikumar along with Benagi, have visited pomegranate cultivation sites in India and in Spain, to study the problems faced by growers and measure to counter them.
Karnataka government has provided Rs 1 crore to the department of plant pathology in UAS (Dharwad) to conduct research on Bacterial blight, thanks to the then chief minister B S Yeddyurappa.
The scientists have published booklets in Kannada and English and distributed them to the farmers. The booklet explains the symptoms of each disease and suggests remedial measure. The scientists have also prepared a CD that explains to the farmers the actual process of implementing the remedial measure. "We are responding to the telephone calls from farmers from different places and addressing their problems"Benagi said.
India is the second largest producer of pomegranate after Iran. During 2007-2008 pomegranate had covered an area of 122,000 hectares with a production of 858,000 tonnes and the productivity was 7 tonnes per hectare. The area under the crop has increased in Karnataka and Maharastra at a rapid pace during the past few years.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
