Pest attacks sunflowers just a month before harvest

Sunflower farmers in the coastal districts of Patuakhai and Barguna are facing losses this season as leaves are dying due to an infestation of  'larvae leaf cutter,' a kind of insect pest, just a month before harvest.

Shahidul Islam, 40, of Sekanderkhali village under Amtali upazila of Barguna district said "I cultivated sunflowers on one acre this year, spending Tk 20,000. They would have been ready for harvest within a month, but some leaves suddenly started dying due to the pest attack."

The pest eats leaves, which become dry and then die he said. Shahidul showed some affected leaves in his field when this correspondent visited the area on Wednesday. He added that he had never seen such a disease in the five years he has been cultivating sunflowers.

Altaf Hossain, another farmer of nearby Bandra area under Kalapara upazila, said the disease was detected after heavy rainfall in the area about a month ago.

Saber Howlader of the same area said cultivating sunflowers is profitable as there is demand for the seeds to produce sunflower oil.

This disease is found in different areas, but is rampant in Kalapara, Rangalbali and Galachipa upazilas in Patuakhali, and in Amtali, Barguna Sadar and Taltali upazilas in Barguna.

Sunflower farming is popular as it is a profitable crop and can be cultivated easily due to favourable weather and suitable land, said Md Moshiur Rahman, Kalapara upazila agriculture extension officer.

"We are advising farmers to kill the insects in the fields and then burn the attacked leaves. Weeds should be removed from the field and sunflower seed beds should be burned to prevent appearance of the insect in the next crop," he added.

A source of the Department of Agriculture Extension in Patuakhali said a total of 530 hectares in all eight upazilas were brought under sunflower cultivation this year.