Spraying to combat leaf beetle and white fly

Muscat: A drive campaign to combat leaf beetles and the white fly which attack coconut trees, bananas, and other crops was launched in Dhofar and will continue until June 15. The campaign led by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources in Dhofar Governorate will continue till June 15.

Dr Amin bin Abdullah of MoAFWR, said, “This is the fifth campaign and these pests are dangerous for plants and trees. The directorate has completed the necessary preparations to implement the campaign, which began early by conducting research diagnostics by specialists in the Department of Agricultural and Animal Research in Salalah and conducting research experiments to choose the appropriate pesticide that can control several pests at the same time. Field surveys were then conducted by specialists to determine the locations and area of spread and degree of infection in Salalah and Taqah.

The campaign includes ground and aerial spraying using drones. Dhofar Governorate has 150,000 coconut trees distributed over an area of 1,455 acres, and the annual production of coconuts reaches 7,000 tonnes annually.

Officials requested all farm owners to cooperate with field spraying teams. It also urged farm owners to be present when spraying teams visit the farms and shift animals and honey bee hive boxes when spraying is done. They must also cover water sources and fodder from the direct impact of the spraying operation.

This campaign comes within the framework of the programs implemented by the MoAFWR to support the agricultural sector and assist farmers in combating pests.