A 'revolution' in pest control, environment protection

A Ferromon Trap in a sweet pumpkin field at Gaidghjat village. the photo was taken recently. PHOTO: STAR

The tool--Ferromon Trap -- is very much user-friendly, easily available and involves virtually no cost compared to that of pesticide.

The trap is made with a plastic pot. A medicine named Ferromon is kept inside it.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

The smell of the medicine attracts pests and insects. They fly into the pot and die within seconds. The pot costs only Tk 8.

Ayub Hossain and Laxman Chandra of Gaidghat village in Bagherpara upazila in Jessore innovated the tool in 2001. To spread the simple technology, they formed an organisation styled Krishi Prajukti Bastabayan Kendra (KPBK --Agriculture Technology Application Centre).

Farmers in 32 villages in Shalikha upazila of Magura district and Bagherpara upazila of Jessore are now benefiting from this.

KPBK, now headed by Laxman Chandra, now well known in the areas.

This also increases the yield, some farmers told this correspondent during a visit to the village. The yield increased as the trap also kills pesticide-resistant insects, which earlier damaged crops, they said.

Dut Kumar, Name Gopal, Milon Kumar and Amal Biswas said they produced 230 maunds of pumpkin on 145 decimal lands last year using the trap against only 80 maunds in the previous year by using insecticides.

Schoolteacher Siddiqur Rahman, himself a farmer, says the new method is not only tremendously benefiting the farmers by raising the yield and saving huge amounts they used to spend on pesticide but is also protecting the environment. "It is a revolution". Pesticides worth at least Tk 300 is needed to control pest attack on vegetables on one bigha land, he said.

KPBK's surprising achievement not only inspired local farmers but also drew many agri-scientists from home and abroad to the remote Gaidghat village.

During a recent visit agri-scientists Dr AE Henricks, Dr Shekey Miler, Dr Edwin Rajot and Dr Arora Baltarar of Philipine and Dr ANM Rezaul Karim, Country Director of Integrated Pest Management and Collaborative Research Support Programme (IPMCRSP) highly appreciated KPBK's initiative and extended their support.

With the financial support of IPMCRSP, KPBK began distribution of Ferromon Traps among farmers free of cost to popularise the unique method.

KPBK members said, the method is being used on 1960.2 decimal lands of 50 farmers in the area this year against only 145 decimal last year.

Magura Deputy Director of Agriculture Extension Department (AED) Osiul Islam when contacted said, KPBK's trap method will bring about a revolution is vegetable cultivation without use of harmful pesticides.