Agriculture
As part of efforts to ensure bumper harvests at the end of the planting season, the Ministry of Agriculture organised a One-Day workshop for farmers in Ojoto, Idemili South Local Government Area, LGA.
The Head, Plant Protection Unit of the Ministry, Oliver Okoli, in his lecture exposed various plant diseases, symptoms, pests and their control.
Okoli also touched on things to do to make plants grow healthily and produce good yields.
He lamented that they were already behind schedule as the workshop could have come before the resumption of the planting season, but for the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
He, however, remained optimistic that once the methods taught them were properly applied by farmers, there would be positive results at the end.
Nwachukwu Uchendu from the Plant Protection Unit, said that as the planting season was on, some farmers were facing problems controlling pests on their plants, which had resulted in losses; which discourages them.
He said farmers in the area had been taught different and accessible methods in the control of pests on plants that would be aimed at ensuring positive yield at the end of the season.
The Head, Agric Department Idemili South LGA, Mike Chike, said that in order to ensure maximum yield and bumper harvests at the end of this year’s planting season, there was need to enlighten farmers on protective and control measures for plant diseases and pests.
The Block Extension Supervisor, Agric Department Idemili South LGA, Obiageli Okoli, said the farmers had been taught the existence of various types of plant diseases, pests and their destructive systems on plants and methods of control to reduce losses encountered in farming.
She said the workshop was of useful because the planting season was still ongoing.
Ogochukwu Nwosu, a plantain, cassava and cocoyam farmer, said she had learnt how to use plant residue, Nim tree extracts and Nim ash in different ways as organic pesticides to check pests.
She said farmers in the area had never had it so good and thanked the Commissioner for Agriculture for the workshop.
– Jun. 14, 2020 @ 16:55 GMT |
Tags: Idemili South farmers hold one-day workshop on control of plant diseases pests
