In a bid to mitigate the problem, a progressive farmer in the district has come out with an alternative. According to the farmer, Kongara Ramesh, bio-pesticides can provide a lasting solution to the recurring problem of locusts. Ramesh from Guntur district made Tarluvada of Anandapuram mandal in Visakhaptnam district his home in 1990. “They were content with publishing research papers and obtaining Ph.D degrees but did not evince interest in developing a bio-pesticide to help farmers fight pest attacks,” Mr. Ramesh told The Hindu. “The research on efficacy of fungal strains on cotton pests has proved that they work on insects, including locusts, that have chitin (a primary component of exoskeleton),” he claims.

Source: The Hindu June 05, 2020 17:28 UTC