Black-Gram Plant Leaf Disease hits pulse crops in Lakhimpur’s Dhakuakhana

North Lakhimpur, Nov 28: Hundreds of bighas of agricultural land growing pulses is affected by the black-gram plant leaf disease (BPLD) in Lakhimpur’s Dhakuakhana region.

The farmers, who had a failed rice crop this year due to insufficient rainfall, fell back on black lentil crop for the winter season but are now facing huge financial losses due to the prevalence of the disease.

BPLD has affected more than 200 bighas of farmland in the villages of Alimur-Dangdhora under the Dimoruguri Gaon Panchayat and in the Kekuri-Sonari Chapori Gaon Panchayat areas of west Dhakuakhana. Most of the farmers here belong to the ST communities.

The mature black lentil crop has also been affected by yellowing of leaves, damaging the entire plant. Affected farmers blamed the nearest agriculture office for their plight. Speaking to the media, an affected farmer said that the sub-divisional agriculture department has not sent any official to inspect the affected fields or educate the farmers about the two diseases. The farmers also alleged that no gram sevaks have visited them in several years.

The yellowing of the black lentil plants, known as the yellow mosaic disease, is a devastating disease regardless of the season of cultivation. It is primarily caused by a virus transmitted by whiteflies and leads to crop loss ranging from 50 to 70 per cent. It is particularly devastating if it spreads during the early phases of crop development. The first signs of yellowing appear in the form of spots or patches on the young leaves. The yellow discolouration spreads to the entire leaf, which then dries and withers away. Plants infected with the disease mature late and this leads to reduced quality and quantity of the produce.

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