Perching and light traps, which control harmful pests without pesticides, are becoming increasingly popular among farmers in Sirajganj, including the Chalan Beel area known as a granary.

After fertiliser is applied, transplanted Aman, Irri-Boro and other crops are attacked by brown planthoppers, leaf rollers, case worms, stem borers and other pests. Farmers now avoid pesticides and use simple, environmentally friendly perching and light traps instead.

According to the agriculture extension department, dead perching and live perching have been introduced per bigha, and sub-assistant agriculture officers in every union are working with farmers. About 56,890 hectares of the district's target area are under perching, and 425 light traps have been set up, destroying pests and eggs cheaply while protecting the environment.

Sharecroppers Amjad Hossain, Rahim and Bakkar of Panchthakuri in Sadar upazila said the agriculture office regularly raises awareness at courtyard meetings about setting branches and bamboo sticks in fields and using light traps in the evening, and following these methods they have protected their crops and profited. Marginal farmer Anwar Hossain of Bahuli said birds sit on the branches and eat harmful insects. Alhaj Ali of Manikchar village, Talam union, Tarash upazila, has used perching two years running.

Sub-assistant agriculture officer Humayun Kabir of Tarash said birds on the branches eat pests and their eggs, so pesticides are not needed and higher yields come at lower cost. Md. Anwar Hossain Khan, additional deputy director (crops) of DAE Sirajganj, explained that perching means setting branches in the field so birds can eat moths, while a light trap is an electric or battery-powered bulb fixed to a pole and lit in the evening, with a basin of soapy water beneath; attracted by the light, pests gather, fall into the water and die. Neither method harms the environment.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.