300 hectares of sugarcane in Nghia Dan are damaged by white cotton aphids.

White cotton fiber aphids have appeared in some sugarcane areas in Nghia Thang commune (Nghia Dan). Photo: Minh Thai

Sugarcane is the main source of income for Mr. Pham Dinh Toan's family in U hamlet, Nghia Thang commune. In the final stage of tillering and accumulating sugar, white cotton aphids have appeared on many sugarcane areas; ifIf this type of aphid is not controlled in time, sugarcane productivity will decrease seriously.

Mr. Toan said:"My family has more than 1 hectare of sugarcane, the main varieties being KK3 and MI. To prevent white cotton aphids, we have to peel off the outer leaves to create an airy sugarcane field; destroy aphid nests to limit the source of emergence and spread. In addition, we also spray pesticides according to the recommendations of the locality and the District Plant Cultivation and Plant Protection Station."

Currently, the entire Nghia Dan district has over 300 hectares of sugarcane infected with white cotton aphids; the infection rate is high, from 10-12% of leaves. Photo: Minh Thai

In Nghia Thang commune - a locality that mainly grows sugarcane with more than 100 hectares. White cotton aphids have appeared on some sugarcane areas of the commune. In order to promptly prevent diseases that harm sugarcane, the locality has promptly implemented measures to prevent and control harmful aphids, limiting the impact on productivity, quality of sugarcane fields and germination rate for the next crop.

According to Mr. Nguyen Canh Duan - Vice Chairman of Nghia Thang Commune People's Committee, after receiving the notice from the Plant Cultivation and Plant Protection Station, the commune has directed the Agriculture Department and the Commune Agricultural Extension Department to inspect the fields. At the same time, the locality has directed agricultural officers to go down to the hamlets to instruct people on how to spray pesticides to prevent epidemics, in order to minimize the spread of aphids and cause damage on a large scale.

Recently, due to the influence of tropical depression, storms No. 3 and No. 4 have had heavy rain in the area, creating a favorable environment for aphids to thrive, possibly developing into an epidemic. The aphid infection rate is high, from 10-12% of leaves, locally some fields are infected with 15-20% of leaves, leaves are infected with aphids at level 1-3, concentrated in the communes of Nghia Thang, Nghia Hung, Nghia Duc.

The district's Plant Cultivation and Plant Protection Station has sent technical staff to communes to inspect, coordinate propaganda, and instruct farmers on prevention measures.

Staff from the District Plant Cultivation and Plant Protection Station instruct people on how to prevent white cotton aphids. Photo: Minh Thai

Mr. Nguyen Viet Trung - Head of the Plant Cultivation and Plant Protection Station of Nghia Dan district said: "Currently, in Nghia Dan district, white cotton aphids have appeared on sugarcane on an area of ​​more than 300 hectares. To limit the damage caused by white cotton aphids, farmers need to take a number of measures: For fields with low density, it is necessary to strip leaves, weed to make it airy; stop fertilizing with nitrogen, increase fertilizing with potassium; cut out mite nests to destroy them. For heavily infected areas, it is necessary to spray Victory 300EC, Anboom 40EC".

In the coming time, with the current alternating hot and rainy conditions, sugarcane will enter the sugar accumulation stage, which is a favorable condition for aphids to arise, spread quickly, and cause serious damage. Farmers need to actively visit the fields to detect and handle them promptly to prevent white cotton fiber aphids from developing into an epidemic, affecting the productivity and quality of sugarcane.