State Government has been taking effective steps to protect the crops from pests. Anti-pest worms are being prepared in the biological control laboratory for the state farmers and the orchardists can use these anti-pest worms in their crops or orchards, for protection from pests and get rid of the ill-effects of harmful pesticides.
A spokesperson of the Horticulture Department said that lakhs of anti-pest worms are being prepared in the Bio-control laboratory located at Rajhana, New Shimla everyday. These worms have been brought from the National Institute of Botanical Health Management, Hyderabad for helping the farmers and orchardists.
These anti-pest worms are capable of preventing harmful pests like root crackers, cutworms, termites, white grubs and other pests related to crops present in the cultivated fields. These anti-pest worms are transparent, which enters the pest and kills the pests within 24-48 hours according to the size of the pest by causing disease through the aid of bacteria (Photorhabdus Bacilli). After the death of pest, these anti-pest worms starts the process of increasing their numbers by using the liquid present in the body of the pest, which is completed in 8-12 days. This growth process is so rapid that within a fully developed root penetrating pest, its number can range from 40 to 50 thousand. They can survive in the land for about six months by spreading them in the land.
In Bio-Control Laboratory Rajhana, these anti-pest worms are being prepared in a number of 15 to 20 lakhs per day. Farmers and orchardists can get these anti-pest worms free of cost from the laboratory on any working day, which they can use in the affected fields or orchard by spray or any other medium.
For the successful use of these anti-pest worms, it is necessary to have moisture in the land so that worms can easily reach the crops destroying pests in the land. The rainy season is appropriate to use of these anti-pest worms. In this regard, Horticulture Department or any officer of the Department can be contacted.