Dwarf virus hits paddy fields, farmers forced to re-sow stare are financial loss
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Patiala: Farmers across several sub-mountainous districts of Punjab are grappling with a resurgence of the Southern Rice Black-streaked Dwarf Virus (SRBSDV), locally known as the Fiji or dwarf virus.
The outbreak has affected paddy fields and threatens the yield of the upcoming kharif season. In response, some farmers have uprooted infected crops and re-sown paddy, incurring significant financial losses.
Agriculture director Jaswant Singh confirmed that the virus has been detected in a few districts -- Ropar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Sangrur, Patiala, Mohali, and Nawanshahar -- but has not yet spread widely. "We are monitoring the situation and guiding farmers for timely action.
It is critical to detect symptoms early and act promptly," he said, urging farmers to report any signs of dwarfing immediately to Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) or Panjab Agricultural University (PAU) experts.
In Ropar, chief agriculture officer Rakesh Kumar reported virus infestation in around 100 acres. Awareness camps are being held in villages alongside ongoing field surveys. The district has a total paddy cultivation area of 39,000 hectares.
Patiala district has also reported infections in villages under Samana, Rajpura, Ghanaur, and Patiala subdivisions. About 300 acres show signs of infestation, though actual crop uprooting remains limited, only a few acres in Mohabbatpura and three acres in Ghanaur, according to agriculture department officials.
SRBSDV is transmitted by the whitebacked planthopper (WBPH) and severely stunts plant growth. Infected plants develop narrow upright leaves, weak roots, and are nearly half or one-third of their normal height.
In advanced stages, the crop may die prematurely, leading to near-total yield loss.
"This year, most of the affected crop belongs to the PR 131 variety. Farmers, in panic, have started uprooting the affected paddy and resowing either Basmati or PR 126," said Jaswinder Singh, chief agriculture officer, Patiala. He noted that nearly 2.33 lakh hectares in the district are under paddy cultivation this year, with 20% under PR 131.
Farmers say they are bearing heavy losses due to re-sowing. "We are spending between Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 per acre on re-sowing and about Rs 1,500 per acre for spraying insecticides to manage the infection," said Sarbjit Singh, a farmer from Mohabbatpura village in Patiala. "There will be yield loss for this late-sown crop, and we may face hurdles during the late procurement period due to high moisture content," he added.
Despite following recommended preventive measures such as nursery sprays and sowing after June 15, some farmers still faced infections, raising concerns about the effectiveness of current advisories. "Even after spraying during the nursery stage and sowing after June 15, our recommended PR 131 and 132 crops were hit. Only my PR 126 was safe, but rice millers don't buy it readily, so we avoid growing it," Sarbjit said, also recalling similar infections in 2022 when no compensation was offered despite multiple representations to authorities.
Bhagwant Singh, another farmer from the same village, said he had uprooted paddy on around seven acres and re-sown another variety.
PAU and the state agriculture department reiterated the importance of preventive measures. They attributed the outbreak to early sowing, inadequate insecticide application during the nursery stage, and conducive humidity levels for virus transmission. AS Dhatt, director of research at PAU, stated, "Early sowing, before June 15, has been one of the major contributing factors.
In 2022, similar patterns were observed.
Proper spraying during the nursery phase is critical to preventing virus transmission." This year, the state government had allowed paddy sowing from June 1, advancing it from the previous year's June 10 window.
PAU has released an insecticide advisory for managing WBPH, recommending targeted spraying of approved chemicals. Farmers are advised to apply these sprays at the plant base using flat-fan or hollow-cone nozzles and avoid indiscriminate use to prevent pest resistance and ecological damage.
Experts also recommend weekly field inspections and simple detection methods, such as tapping the base of plants to spot WBPH, which float to the surface of standing water when disturbed.
As the situation unfolds, agricultural authorities continue field surveillance and farmer outreach. However, growers remain wary, citing their experience in 2022 when significant crop losses went uncompensated, leaving them sceptical of state support.
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