Agri dept warns farmers of pest attacks

Growers urged to manage threats against vegetable crops

FAISALABAD:

The Punjab agriculture department has advised tunnel farmers to remain alert against attack of various insects and continue pest scouting of their crops twice in a week.

This was stated by a spokesperson for the agriculture department on Tuesday. “Tunnel technology was another name of greenhouse and vegetables and fruit including cucumber, pumpkin, gourd and strawberry can be grown in tunnels.”

He further said their cultivation in tunnel proved more successful than their cultivation in open areas. “In Punjab, non-seasonal vegetables were grown in three types of plastic tunnels including high tunnels, medium tunnels and small tunnels.”

High tunnels were made from bamboo or iron angle or galvanised pipes from east to west, the spokesperson said.

Bamboo tunnels were useful for 3 to 4 years while iron or zinc pipe tunnel was useful for 15 to 18 years. He highlighted that the length of high tunnel was 200 feet while its width was 30 to 34 feet. “The height of medium tunnel was 10 feet from the sides but 13 feet in the middle. Depending on the structure, its height can be up to 4 metres and vegetables can be grown in eight rows.”

He said that medium tunnel was five to six feet high and 12 to 15 feet wide while it can hold three or four rows. “Pipe bows were made six feet high and 12 feet wide. Similarly, the small tunnels comprise of only one row of plants and it is made through three metres long and 5 mm thick iron rod.”

The thickest bamboo was buried in the shape of a bow from a height of one metre on top of each bend and was covered with a plastic sheet from the upper part, he elaborated.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11^th, 2020.