AgrI dept advises farmers to control harmful pests in maize crops

SIALKOT, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Mar, 2026) Agriculture department on Thursday advised that farmers growing maize should ensure the control of harmful pests in the spring maize crop during the current month.

Assistant Director Plant Protection, Pest Warning and Quality Control of Pesticides, Department of Agriculture Sumbariyal, Saba Tahseen talking to APP said that to protect the crop from termites, farmers should avoid using raw farmyard manure. If termite attack appears, Chlorpyrifos 40 EC should be applied at the rate of 2 liters per acre along with irrigation.

She said that the shoot fly attacks the growing crop, therefore to control it, Imidacloprid 200 SL should be sprayed at the rate of 200 ml per acre.

The Assistant Director further said that to control the stem borer, 20 Trichogramma cards per acre should be installed from the beginning of the crop and must be replaced every 10 to 15 days until the crop starts forming grains.

She added that armyworm attacks in clusters; therefore, light traps should be used to eliminate the male moths. However, if the attack becomes severe, Carbosulfan should be applied at the rate of 500 ml per acre.

She explained that in Pakistan, maize is the third largest crop by cultivated area after wheat and rice, while it ranks first in terms of average yield per acre. She further said that progressive farmers in Pakistan are producing more than 100 maunds per acre of maize, whereas there is still considerable potential to increase the yield per acre for ordinary farmers. Therefore, by following modern recommendations and utilizing this potential, farmers can increase maize production per acre, which will not only increase their income but will also contribute to the prosperity of the country.