KOLHAPUR: The soyabean crop over 80 to 90 acre in Shirol tehsil of Kolhapur district has been found infested with a virus — most likely the yellow mosaic — said agriculture officials who visited the fields on Monday.
The agriculture department has written to the experts from agriculture college located in Kolhapur to investigate the infestation. According to the farmers, the infestation has stopped the maturing of the beans in the shells.
Ganesh Bhosale, the agriculture officer of Shirol tehsil who visited the fields, said the infestation is rare and has been found for first time in the tehsil in recent years. “We visited the fields, found that soyabean crop spread over 80 to 90 acre have been infested by the virus. I think it is yellow mosaic virus, but it must be confirmed by the experts to suggest remedies to the farmers.”
Bhosale said most of the fields where the infestation has been observed had soyabean cultivated earlier and there was no rotation of crops. “Crop rotation helps avoid the crop-specific infestation. Also, soyabean cultivated on over 910 hectare in the tehsil is unseasonal. It means the cultivation was done much ahead of the start of the actual season of the soyabean. Cultivation during the season ensures optimum weather conditions for the growth and the yield,” said Bhosale.
The officer said the farmers have been called to attend a meeting scheduled on Tuesday at Shirol to discuss the infestation. The virus is carried by flies, which act as a carrier. Destroying the flies can help stop further spread. However, farmers have been advised to wait till the expert advice is available to initiate remedial measures such as spraying insecticides.
