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Plague affects corn crops
Posted On 18 Aug 2015
Image: Expreso
The aggressive attack of the Diatraea (stem screwworm) to corn also affects consumers by the price raising of some products. In the winter of 2015 a strong affectation, associated with a fungal attack, took place; the scewworn makes a hole in the base of the plant, leaves a hole and diseases like Fusarium and Rhizoctonia penetrate through the holes, an enormous problems because now, besides the worm attack, there are associated problems.
There are corn growers that make up to four fumigations, some even at night, although this has not worked, since the control is effective when fresh eggs are deposited, that is, in the first 30 days of sowing, because when the worm is within the stem, the chemical has no effect. Even the ears have been affected.
For every ten sacks of rice, the producer loses $ 460 (more than the unified basic wage), and for ten bushels of corn, $ 159 Cesar Herrera and Washington Nunez, corn and rice producers, argue that it is necessary to act urgently to prevent a collapse.
The Ministry of Agriculture introduced in Daule a portable laboratory that seeks to reduce the problems. This technology obtains real-time information on the presence and the development of pests and diseases. This project is run by 200 technicians. The use of this equipment “also helps farmers to to correct and manage nutritional deficiencies in the soil,” besides optimizing inputs and the amount of seeds used in planting, which affects the investment costs.
Source: http://expreso.ec/expreso/
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