BLB attack: late sowing rice growers asked to keep vigil on crop

Pest Warning wing of the Agriculture Department Punjab has warned the growers who sown their rice late to keep a vigil on their crop as attack of Bacterial Leaf Blight (BLB) might occur in some areas.
Director General Pest Warning, Dr Ijaz Parvaiz during a press briefing by the Punjab Agriculture Minister, Malik Ahmad Ali Aulkah told the newsmen that symptoms of this disease has been reported in 25 percent areas of those regions where rice was sown late. He said these areas include Hafizabad, Kamoke, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Okara, Nankana Sahib and Baddo Malhi.
He said that the farmers should remain vigilant of these areas and as soon as found a symptom of attack of this disease, should spray copper based fungicide on their crop to save it. He said that this disease appear in patches and could be controlled in its initial phase. 'It become hard to control this disease on later stages,' he added.