Rice Hispa has affected crops in some parts of Hailakandi district of Assam.
Hailakandi
Rice Hispa has affected crops in some parts of Hailakandi district of Assam.
According to the District Agriculture Officer, L Hmar, paddy fields have been affected in some parts of the district by the pests.
The paddy-swarming pest, Dicladispa armigera, belongs to the Hispidae family.
The district agriculture officials asked the farmers to use a mixture of 50 gram lime and 50 gram salt in one litre of water and spray it on the paddy fields.
Spraying of pesticides has not been advised as it would not only affect the crops but also kill small animals and birds.
Paddy contributes to 95 per cent of the total foodgrain production in Assam and about 2.5 million hectares are under rice cultivation.
The last widespread pest attack was reported in 2016, when over 3 lakh hectares of paddy crop was affected in 22 districts.
