With favourable weather, farmers in Adamdighi upazila of Bogura, known as a granary, expect another bumper crop of transplanted Aman rice this year. Last year's Aman yield was also a bumper one. Despite occasional rain this year, the weather has stayed favourable, and farmers are hopeful.

According to the Adamdighi upazila agriculture office, the target for transplanted Aman this season is 11,115 hectares across one municipality and six unions. Varieties planted include Swarna-5, Ranjit, Paijam, hybrids and BRRI dhan11, 34, 49 and 62.

Compared with last year, there was hardly any disease in the Aman fields this season. But in some areas of the upazila, stem borers, hopper-type insects and an unfamiliar white insect have now attacked Aman fields on a wide scale, and farmers who have failed to control them are at their wits' end. When contacted, the upazila agriculture office has been inspecting fields and advising farmers to use various pesticides.

On Saturday (25 September), in the fields of Domdoma, Sandira, Kashimila, Prasadkhali and other villages in Santahar union, stem borers were seen to have attacked the Aman plants on almost every plot. Most plants had leaves dying and turning yellow, and in some fields the plants were almost leafless and dying. Farmers said they have used pesticides from various companies to control the stem borer without any benefit. Many plants have already begun to put out panicles.

On the advice of agriculture officers and sub-assistant agriculture officers, farmers are being advised to apply pesticides against pests and diseases and to tend their fields constantly to keep the Aman plants healthy and raise production.

Farmers Toihidur Rahman, Sunil Chandra, Hiru Alam and many others said the green Aman fields leave them no time to rest. Everywhere the eye falls there is a beautiful expanse of green, with the rice leaves swaying in the wind and the farmers' hearts swaying with joy. Despite occasional rain, the weather favours Aman, so the farmers are in good spirits.

Upazila agriculture officer Mithu Chandra Adhikari said that although disease has appeared in the Aman crop in a few areas, they have been advising farmers in good time and hope the insect problem will be solved very soon. He said that because the office's sub-assistant agriculture officers in the field have advised farmers on time, little disease is being seen in the Aman fields this year, and with no disease in the plants there is again a chance of a bumper harvest.

Source: Amader Shomoy. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.