Armyworms invade 100 hectares of onion farmlands
BAYAMBANG—Armyworms have invaded about 100 hectares of onion farmland here and threaten to destroy the town’s major agricultural produce.
Roberto Benitez, agricultural technician, said affected farmers are those who were last to plant onions in low-lying areas.
About 50 percent of barangays here produce onions.
“We are still able to control them through spraying of insecticide but there are many out there,” he added.
Young armyworms are voracious eaters of onion crops and could infest one hectare of squash farmland in just one night, he said.
He said the pests earlier infested farmlands of squash and camote in the vicinity of Mangabul Lake last week.
Benitez said the pests initially attack the onion leaves then the bulb and make holes prompting traders to reject them.
He said last year, 80 percent of their onion produce was affected by Armyworms infestation. “It was worse last year,” he said.
He said the Armyworms might have been swept by floodwaters from nearby areas down to their low-lying areas. Rainfall helps in easing their attack, he added.
Once insecticide is sprayed, the worms transfer to nearby farmlands, he said.
The town produces at least 12 tons of onions per hectare in one cropping season per year. They produce mostly red onions.
The Municipal Agriculture Office provides technical assistance to onion farmers, Benitez said.
Benitez said onion production is very profitable during good condition since a farmer could earn as much as P1-million in a one hectare lot (less P200,000 production cost).
“That’s why they don’t stop (despite the infestation),” he said. (Tita Roces)
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