Neck blast disease has occurred in Boro paddy fields in Ulipur of Kurigram. The attack of this disease is increasing day by day. Farmers are also worried about this. The outbreak of 'neck blast' disease in Boro paddy fields, one of their sources of livelihood, has now become a cause of alarm. Due to the outbreak of this disease, the tops of the trees are drying up. This disease has appeared in BRRI-28 paddy fields for aw week. This fungus is rapidly spreading from one land to another through hostile weather and wind.
Farmers complain that the application of pesticides is not working on the advice of the agriculture office, the rice grains cannot be protected from neck blast disease. In such a situation, they demanded to take necessary measures to protect Boro paddy. However, according to the agriculture office, the benefits are being obtained by applying fungicides.
In the current Boro season in the upazila, 22 thousand 295 hectares of land have been planted with Boro. Hundreds of bighas of paddy were affected by blast disease right from the moment when the grain of rice started to emerge. According to the sources of agriculture office, 1 municipality and 13 unions in the upazila have cultivated 14 thousand 150 hectares of Ufshi, 8 thousand 10 hectares of hybrid varieties and 135 hectares of local land. According to the information of the Department of Agriculture, there has been an outbreak of neck blast fungus in 3.5 hectares of Bri-28 rice fields. But in reality it is many times more.
It has been seen on the ground that various areas of the upazila have been attacked by neck blast disease in Boro paddy fields. If seen from a distance, the paddies of those fields seem to be swaying in golden color. But looking closer, it is not the ripe rice that is golden in color, but the rice plants and grains have been scorched.
Matiur Rahman of Narikel Bari Sannyasitala village of Ulipur town said that one bigha of his paddy land has been affected by blast disease. Moreover, there is concern about the rest of the paddy fields. 8-9 thousand rupees are being spent to cultivate paddy per bigha of land. But now nothing can be found except straw. The 10th century paddy field of Moslem Uddin of Narikel Bari Agpara village has also been destroyed by the disease. This time he has faced a huge loss by cultivating Boro - he said.
Meanwhile, Abdul Latif, a farmer of Dakshin Madhupur village of Dharnibari union, said that most of the paddy in his 1 bigha land was destroyed. No results were obtained by spraying medicine there.
In this regard, Upazila Agriculture Officer and agriculturist Mosharraf Hossain said that farmers are advised to spray fungicides in approved doses to prevent neck blast disease.