COFFEE PLANTS GRAZED BY GRASS HOPPERS

Madikeri May 7

The Coffee growers have faced plenty of insect demons so for. The berry borer, white stem borer have affected the grower community. Many growers even could not have utilized the interest subsidies announced by the Govt. Due to the loss of crop by the continuous attack of insects. In some places the last season’s heavy rain has caused the large scale dropping of coffee.

In the meantime, a type of grass hoppers was created in the nature. These insects have become the enemy of coffee growers. They simply go on grazing the coffee plants like sheep finishing all the plants to meet its food.

Ammanakutanda Suren Katti and his brother Kiran who own 32 acres of coffee estate at Heggala Village in South Kodagu are facing grievous problem of these insects attack to the coffee plants. Thousands of these Grass hoppers or crickets are finishing the coffee plants grazing uninterruptedly.

Black coloured, the wingless insects having yellow coloured lines on them swallowing the coffee plants and creating havoc in the minds of growers. The surprise thing is that all these acts are done by the insects during the night time only .They graze the plants during night time and simply they sleep on the plants during day time as if they are unconcerned. In these estates more than 10 thousand insects live. After the advice by the Coffee Board, the growers have applied insecticide called ecolacs which has controlled the fast movement of these insects. The insects are slowly moving towards the surrounding estates also. According to the version of the Coffee Board experts the insect is a type of “Wild Offer” which can be controlled if Ecolacs and Metacid are sprayed to coffee plants. These insects are not only satisfied with the coffee plants They further move in the Banana area and swallowing the Banana plants. They eat even the leafs of other shade giving trees on the estates.

The affected estates are being converted as the panic grave yard and the growers see the sky in vain.