“Key Informant Survey” of Production, Value, Losses and ... - DfID

preparation. However, compared to other crop this crop is better as it gives return
for 10 months in the year, he said.
PESTS He said since 50 years, he observed the fruit fly, fruit borer (Diaphania) and
chharo (fruit skin becoming rough) {though it is not a pest problem}.
FRUIT FLY He said fruit fly is attacking small gourds since he is growing the crop.
He further added that this pest is severe when less number of fruits /plant were
observed and at that time price of the fruits is also higher (Rs.200-300/20kg). This
happens in April-May. Afterward pest incidence decline. We asked reason why it
happened so? He replied that it is due to heat/temperature. According to his view,
this is a notorious pest as it directly attacks the fruits and makes it unfit for
human consumption and ultimately causes yield loss. According to him, it causes
20-30% loss during the season.
FRUIT FLY CONTROL He knows two methods for fruit fly control.
FRUIT FLY CONTROL: SPRAY (i) Spraying insecticides He used insecticides viz.,
dichlorvos (Nuvan), dimethoate (Rogor), imidacloprid (Confidor), fenthion (Lebaycid)
and jaggery for spraying in small gourd.
FRUIT FLY CONTROL: TRAPS (ii) Hanging of sex pheromone traps. As advised by shop
keeper, he hung containing cotton swab soaked in methyl eugenol and DDVP (dichlorvos)
mixture. He doesn't know about the exact quantity of ME + DDVP that he is using. He
directly put the ME & DDVP on the cotton swab and put the same in the empty metal
containers (particularly of container used to pack chewing tobacco of Babul brand).
According to his opinion, in the early stage of the crop when vine are small, there
will be a wastage of insecticide if you spray. But if you hang the ME trap it
directly kills all the flies and you get the good results. He doesn't know which
flies are coming inside the trap and which flies are infesting his small gourd crop.
When shown the results of the Cue lure traps placed in the field of interviewee A001,
he is really impressed and requests us to give traps.
FRUIT BORER He said the pest attacks the crop when rainfall start. According to him,
it bores into fruit and also feeds on leaves. He observed the severity of the pest
during September. According to him it causes damage up to 40% when reach to peak. He
is observing this pest since 20 years. He had sprayed imidacloprid, dimethoate and
dichlorvos to control this pest.
CHHARO (FRUIT SKIN BECOMING ROUGH) {Actually this is not a pest problem but farmers
have misunderstood - it is due to covering/adhering of fruit with leaf during rainy
season. The fruit growing in the axil of leaf, adhered with leaf and that area become
rough. So he said it is "Chharo" (a disease symptom).} This happens mainly during the
monsoon when there is good vegetative growth.
PADDY He is growing paddy in 1.0ha land from which he meets the requirement of rice
as well as fodder for animals.
PADDY PESTS He said, immediately after planting the paddy is attacked by root worms,
followed by hoppers, leaf folder, stem borer, skipper etc.
PADDY PEST CONTROL He has sprayed insecticides viz., monocrotophos, dimethoate and
dichlorvos in paddy fields to control leaf folders and hoppers, while to control root
worms, he broadcast phorate (Thimet) 10G and carbofuran (Furadan) 3G.
BRINJAL He said he is growing this vegetable crop grown for selling as well as for
his own utilization.
BRINJAL PESTS The farmer is facing the problem of Aphid, Jassid, whitefly, shoot and
IMFFI Semi-Structured Interview Survey - 6 of 66