Strengthen measures to prevent and control pine caterpillars
(Baonghean) - Every year, during the changing seasons from March to April, pine forests in the province often have caterpillars. The caterpillars are at risk of causing very serious damage, leading to canopy fires, seriously affecting resin productivity. In this situation, all levels of industry and localities are strengthening a number of measures to prevent and control caterpillars that harm pine trees.
In the area of Xuan Thanh and Dong Thanh communes (Yen Thanh), before the Lunar New Year, caterpillars were detected with a density of 8-20 caterpillars/tree, and an area of over 100 hectares was slightly infected. In early February 2015, the Yen Thanh Protective Forest Management Board focused on implementing a plan to direct, arrange technical forces, mobilize forest protection teams to investigate and understand the situation, promptly isolate the outbreak area for spraying. The Board proactively allocated over 50 million VND to buy Boberin, prepared 4 engine sprayers, and concentrated biological products to spray over 120 hectares.
Mr. Nguyen Van Thuc, Team Leader of Production Team No. 3, which manages over 450 hectares of pine forest, said: "For the lightly infected area of the team, about 30 hectares, we arranged 11 people to divide into 2 groups, spraying from 4:30 to 7 in the morning and from 4 to 7 in the afternoon. Thanks to timely control of the epidemic, the mortality rate of the pests was over 90%."
Mr. Phan Tien Sy, Head of Yen Thanh Protective Forest Management Board, added: Currently, the Board is investigating and monitoring the development cycle of the worm to propose effective spraying measures. Continuing to allocate funds and prepare special medicines, in addition to the plan of spraying pesticides, we deploy catching and killing worms, trapping butterflies by manual methods, to control the spread of pine caterpillars. The current difficulty is that there is no funding to support spraying pesticides for caterpillars, spraying pesticides on steep terrain, hot weather is very difficult.
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| Spraying insecticide to prevent caterpillars in Quynh Xuan ward - Hoang Mai town. Photo: Viet Hung |
In Nam Anh commune, Nam Dan district, last February, local authorities and officials of the Nam Dan Special Use Forest Management Board inspected the pine forest and discovered that 206 hectares had been destroyed by caterpillars, of which 45 hectares were infected with a density of 55-70 caterpillars/tree, the rest were infected with a density of 10-20 caterpillars/tree. However, up to now, the caterpillars have pupated into cocoons, so they have not had a major impact on the pine forest.
Mr. Tran Van Tam, Head of the Agriculture Department of Nam Anh Commune, said: “These caterpillars are remnants of the fourth generation of caterpillars that were not completely eradicated last year. We are strengthening inspection and monitoring work in case the pine caterpillar epidemic develops strongly, the commune will have a plan to eradicate it.” Currently, Nam Anh Commune has 2.4 quintals of Bitadin WP and additives ready to use for spraying when necessary.
According to Mr. Tam, the most suitable time to spray pesticides is when the weather is slightly humid and foggy, while spraying pesticides is not effective on hot or rainy days. At the same time, the commune will also mobilize people to apply different forms of pest control, catching pests or trapping butterflies with lights at night to minimize the amount of harmful pests, affecting the growth and development of plants.
Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc, Head of the Plant Protection Department, Deputy Head of the Provincial Steering Committee for Caterpillar Control, added: At this time, the fourth generation of pine caterpillars continues to overwinter, and are in the pupal stage. The common density is from 2 - 5 caterpillars/tree, scattered in the pine forests of Nam Dan, Nghi Loc, Do Luong, Yen Thanh, Quynh Luu districts...
Some forest plots have a density of 10 - 20 worms/tree such as the pine forest of Quynh Luu Forestry One Member Co., Ltd., the pine forest of Hung Tay commune, Hung Yen Nam (Hung Nguyen). Forests infected with 30 - 50 worms/tree such as the pine forests of Nam Nghia, Nam Xuan, Nam Hung, Nam Giang communes (Nam Dan), the pine forests of Dien Loi, Dien Phu communes (Dien Chau); Pine forests with an average infection level of 70 - 100 worms/tree such as Nghi Quang, Nghi Xa, Nghi Tien communes (Nghi Loc), Dien Phu commune (Dien Chau), Nam Anh commune (Nam Dan), locally there are pine forest plots in Nghi Yen, Nghi Hung, Nghi Dong communes (Nghi Loc) with a high density of 200 - 400 worms/tree, the worms are in the overwintering stage, when the weather is warm and sunny, the worms continue to cause light to moderate damage, some trees are severely damaged.
In forest areas infected with worms, parasitic natural enemies of pine caterpillars such as Beauveria fungus... appear sporadically in the forest. In recent times, forest owners have continued to control the fourth generation of worms in 1,245.9 hectares. The worm density in many places has decreased significantly, with no ability to spread and cause widespread defoliation.
Through investigation and forecasting, it is likely that by the end of March and the beginning of April, when the caterpillars are mature, the level of forest damage will become more complicated. The Steering Committee for the Prevention of Caterpillars will coordinate with representatives of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Forestry, and Forestry Sub-Department to direct localities to strengthen investigation, forecasting, and thereby effectively prevent and control the caterpillars. For the stage when the caterpillars mature and become butterflies, localities and forest owners can be directed to mobilize forces to manually catch them, such as using lights and ultraviolet rays to trap butterflies, etc.
For areas with a density of over 75 caterpillars/tree, use VTB and BitadinWP to spray. Currently, most forest owners have developed plans, approved by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for specific plans, and prepared enough chemicals to prevent and control caterpillars, and coordinated the spraying to prevent and control caterpillars.
Not only does it bring about environmental protection, pine is also a tree species that brings high economic value, helping to stabilize people's income. In the current complicated weather situation, the caterpillar epidemic has more favorable conditions to develop. Therefore, proactively checking and surveying the current situation of caterpillars that harm pine and soon having plans to implement epidemic suppression is necessary, requiring the active participation of authorities at all levels and the responsibility of each household attached to the pine forest.
Van Truong - Phuong Thao