Pink stem borer infests wheat crop on 10,000 acres in Malwa

Agri department experts claim insecticide use has controlled the infestation and there will be no major impact on the crop

- Vishal Joshi

BATHINDA: Bathinda, Mansa and Barnala districts have emerged as the worst hit by the pink stem borer in the wheat fields even as the state agriculture authorities say the infestation has been contained due to a gradual drop in temperature and use of recommended insecticides.

Information gathered from the official sources on Monday stated that the wheat crop on nearly 10,000 acres was impacted by the pest attack but most of it was revived.

Scores of farmers in the Malwa districts had to re-sow wheat on nearly 1,000 acres while the crop on more than 2,000 acres is still being treated with the use of insecticides, officials said.

There was hardly any fresh incident of pest infestation in the last 25 days, officials said.