Mysterious crop -disease damages paddy crops in Puttalm

An unidentified crop disease is rapidly destroying young paddy shoots in Puttlam and Anamaduwa areas.

The residential farmers in the areas lamented that the young paddy shoots wither and die after they get germinated following plantation.

They added that the disease affect the paddy plants and spread rapidly, therefore they fear that the ailment could possibly spread among paddy lands and destroy a huge percent amount of the crop.  

The farmers pointed out that the first the paddy leaves wither then the whole plant dies as the unidentified disease spreads across the whole plant killing it.

They warned that this disease which affect paddy crops spreads fast therefore they fear that it would spread to other paddy cultivation areas.

A farmer engaging in cultivation in Gallawa area, D.M Karunaratne said that though he visited the agrarian office to tell about the mysterious illness which affect the paddy crops, yet the pesticide which they prescribed was unavailable at many shops.

“As there was prescribed pesticides available, I used the accessible pesticides yet the mysterious disease remained even after chemicals were used on the paddy lands” he said.

He said that when he complained to agrarian office for the second time two persons came and informed there was something wrong in the soil in the area. Thereafter he added that he was instructed to dry a sample of soil and take it to Madampe agrarian service center.

 Another Farmer Disna Sanjeewani said that even though the crop dammge from caterpillars reduced the damage from the mysterious disease keeps further damaging crops.

Story and pictures by Hiran Priyankara - Puttalam