Chennai

“If the attack on maize crop is 5% then farmers can use Neem seed kernel extract. If the pest attack exceeds 10%, 1 kg of Beauveria bassiana or Metarhizium anisopliae per acre can be used or one of the recommended pesticides as per the advice of agriculture department officials. Farmers should avoid using unauthorised pesticides and also shun from using the same pesticides repeatedly,” said C Samayamoorthy, Secretary, Agriculture Department. Since 2018, pest attack has been threatening farmers and after controlling the menace, the yield reached around 8,000 metric tonnes per acre.