M UZA FFA RGA R H: Cotton crop spreading over thousands of acresland has been hit by armyworm attack and agricultural officials could not control the pest so f ar, it is learnt here.

The [fatal] disease has damaged the crop in different areas of Mahmoodkot, Sanawan, Kot Addu, Khangarh, Alipur and Jatoi tehsils.

Farmers say the insect has mushroom growth on a daily basis and it eats the leaves of plants. No pesticide is said to be available in the market to control the disease of armyworm.

Sabir Hussain, a farmer from Fazil Karloo, says he had sown cotton on five acreland this year. `I have been spraying pesticide on the crop thrice a week but the pest could not be controlle d.

Another grower says last year the crop was damaged by different diseases and now farmers are doing experiments [on their own] to control the pest.

He claims that [this time] when the disease attacked the crop, farmers did not contact district agricultural officials as they prepared a solution of different pesticides.

Talking to Dawn, grower Riaz Hussain of Kot Adu tehsilsayswhenhe observed the attack [of lashkari sundi], he asked his employees to kill the cotton plant. `When I saw more attacks I did spray twice a day as a result pest growth got controlled.An agricultural official claims that he had given prescription to farmers to fight armyworm.

`I had recommended Ameda Chlopard, Supracide, Perfenephas and Emma Macton and held meetings in villages with farmers after receiving complaints about the attack,` he claims.

On the other hand, farmers say no meeting was held on the spot.

The official says this year cotton has been sown on 350,000 acre land in Muzaffargarh while the extent of the damage is yet to be ascertained.

`This disease is controlled by pesticides but farmers used their own formula as a result the crop got damaged,` he says.