Nghe An: Caterpillars arise and damage pine forests

(Baonghean.vn) - Nghe An currently has over 30 thousand hectares of pine trees in the exploitation period, but the second generation of caterpillarsThere is a risk of causing widespread damage and defoliation.

The first generation of caterpillars in 2017 has caused damage to most pine forests in the districts of Hoang Mai, Dien Chau, Nghi Loc, Nam Dan, Do Luong...

According to the synthesis data, there are currently 75 hectares of infected areas, mainly concentrated in Dien Chau and the border area of ​​Dien Chau - Nghi Loc.

Mr. Trinh Thach Lam, Head of Plant Protection Department, Provincial Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, said: Basically, the localities and forest owners have organized prevention and control of epidemic outbreaks and areas with high density of pests with quite good results.

However, the density of the first generation of pine caterpillars in 2017 in some areas is still quite high (commonly 10 - 20 caterpillars per tree, in some places 30 - 80 caterpillars per tree), with some individual outbreaks in Quynh Lap commune.,Quynh Loc (Quynh Luu district); Dien Phu, Dien Loi, Dien Thang (Dien Chau district); Nghi Hung, Nghi Dong, Nghi Yen (Nghi Loc district) have a worm density of up to 150 - 200 worms/tree.

Spraying to prevent and eradicate pine caterpillars was carried out in Sub-area 889, Xuan Thanh Commune, Yen Thanh. Photo courtesy

According to the law of development, plus the upcoming suitable weather conditions, it is predicted that the first generation of adult caterpillars will hatch in concentration from May 27 to June 6, 2017; the second generation of larvae will hatch in concentration from June 5 to 20, 2017 and cause serious damage from mid-June onwards. It is very worrying that this generation of caterpillars has the risk of causing serious damage on a large scale and causing leaf loss if timely and effective prevention is not organized.

According to Mr. Nguyen Tien Lam, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in order to prevent and control promptly and effectively, districts need to focus on directing relevant agencies to coordinate well with units, forest owners, Plant Protection and Plant Protection Stations, and Forest Protection Departments to grasp the developments of pine caterpillars in the area.

Management boards of protective forests, special-use forests, Forestry One Member Co., Ltd., and pine forest plantation enterprises should strengthen investigation, detection, and zoning of forest areas infected with the first generation of worms in 2017, and monitor and forecast forest areas at risk of moderate to severe damage from the second generation of worms in 2017 to proactively develop prevention plans.

At the same time, closely monitor the evolution of the adult caterpillars of the first generation to conduct light traps to reduce the density when they move to the second generation in 2017. The Plant Protection and Cultivation Stations focus on assigning staff to stay close to the base, closely coordinate with the Forest Protection Department, District and Commune People's Committees to urge and direct forest owners, agricultural departments, and forestry officers of communes to do a good job of investigating, detecting, and zoning the area of ​​infection of the first generation in 2017, forecasting the forest area infected with the second generation in 2017, especially in areas at high risk of outbreaks (near the outbreaks) to support communes in planning, directing and implementing effective prevention and control...

Phu Huong