By IANS,
Kozhikode : By driving in two rusted nails at the base of each tree, a Kerala farmer has managed to save his arecanut trees from a fungal infection that causes leaves to turn yellow and kills the tree.
While T. Benny’s three-acre arecanut farm at Thiruvambadi near here is flourishing, his neighbours’ trees are on the verge of dying due to the dreaded yellow leaf disease called “mahali”.
“I heard from a friend that driving rusted nails into the tree close to the roots prevents the disease. So nine months back I decided to experiment with it. The normal practice of applying a mixture of copper sulphate and lime to prevent yellowing is done in June and 40 days later a second application is done. But I did not do it because I had driven in the rusted nails. My arecanut trees are fine,” said Benny.
“If Benny’s claims are true, then it could be tried elsewhere also. I will ask a team of agricultural experts from the Kerala Agriculture University to visit the farm and submit a detailed report,” Agriculture Minister Mulakara Ratnakara told IANS.
Arecanut farmers, mostly in north Kerala, have been battling this dreaded disease which finishes off the trees in a short time after the yellowing first appears.
Figures provided by the directorate of economics and statistics show that the area under arecanut cultivation, its production and productivity are all falling.
The area under arecanut cultivation in the state fell from 108,590 hectares in 2005-06 to 100,731 hectares in 2007-08, production dropped from 119,309 tonnes to 108,487, and productivity from 1,099 kg/hectare to 1,077 kg/hectare during the same period.
Senior state agricultural department official Sudesh V. John told IANS that he was not sure how rusted nails prevent the disease but there were some reports of farmers using the method in Kasargode district a few years ago.
“Maybe the presence of ferrous oxide in rusted nails does the trick and prevents fungal attacks. We have no knowledge of any scientific studies undertaken in this regard,” said John.