Gyeongnam Province, Timely Pest Control Needed for Sudden Outbreaks in Farmland to Be Effective

Decrease in Agricultural Land Occurrence Compared to Previous Year, Increase in Forest Area Occurrence

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Saeyan] The Gyeongsangnam-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services announced the status of overwintering surveillance of sudden pest outbreaks conducted in February and March, urging timely pest control to minimize damage.

Sudden pests overwinter in the egg stage and awaken in spring, sucking the sap from leaves and stems of crops. Their excrement falling on leaves and fruits reduces marketability, causing damage to farms.

The main sudden pests include the brown-winged cicada, the flower cicada, and the caterpillar moth.

According to the provincial agricultural research institute, the brown-winged cicada occurred on 1,911 hectares, a 12% decrease compared to the previous year.

The flower cicada occurred on 102 hectares, a 51% decrease compared to the previous year. The caterpillar moth has not yet appeared.

Although the area of sudden pest outbreaks in farmland is decreasing compared to the previous year, the area of outbreaks in forest regions surrounding farmland has slightly increased.

The provincial agricultural research institute plans to form a provincial-level surveillance expert group to remove overwintering nests and conduct precise investigations of hatching times by pest species, using this information to guide farmers in self-pest control.

Additionally, in May, a joint pest control day will be designated for farmland and forest areas, and a pest control council will be formed to operate a joint regular surveillance and control team.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.