Srinagar, Mar 16: The Horticulture Department Kashmir has issued a fresh spray schedule for orchardists and asked them not to spray pesticides without wearing protective clothing to cover the whole body.
The spray schedule issued by the department advises farmers not to use muddy or stagnant water for preparing pesticide solutions and don’t prepare or spray pesticides without wearing protective clothing.
“Avoid spilling pesticide solution while filling or spraying. Don’t use over or sub-lethal doses of pesticide and don’t spray pesticides during the full bloom period,” it advises.”Farmers should not spray during day times when the temperature is high and don’t mix various pesticides other than those recommended by SKUAST-K. Don’t eat, drink, chew or smoke during spraying or preparing pesticide solution. Don’t transfer pesticides from the original to another container. Don’t use leaky or defective equipment.”
The department has advised farmers to purchase pesticides only from registered dealers having a valid license and check batch and registration numbers besides manufacture and expiry date and labels.
Regarding storage of pesticides it said that storage places should be well protected from direct sunlight or rain and instructions on containers should be followed carefully before use adding that close monitoring of pests and diseases is important for effective management.
The advisory has also instructed orchardists to avoid mixing fungicides, insecticides and spray suspensions and maintain a gap of 3 to 4 days between insecticide and fungicide spray.
The schedule said before conducting spray, inform beekeepers in the vicinity of the orchard about spraying time; bee colonies should be kept preferably away from the spraying area. It says the spray of the insecticides/fungicides should be stopped 3-4 weeks before harvesting of fruit.
Regarding storage and transport of pesticides, it says that pesticides should be stored in a place that can be locked and is not accessible unauthorized to people or children.
For disposal of left-over insecticide, suspension can be disposed of safely by pouring it into a specially dug hole in the ground or a pit latrine. It should not be disposed of where it may enter water used for drinking or washing, fish ponds or rivers.
The fresh schedule says that the pesticides are toxic to both pests and humans. However, they need not be hazardous to humans and non-target animal species if suitable precautions are taken.
The horticulture department has also cautioned farmers the schedule is devised for Kashmir valley for normal weather conditions. “For location-specific decisions and under abnormal weather conditions contact concerned Horticulture Development Officer/KVK Scientists/Directorate of Extension, SKAUST-K for advice,” it says. “For effective disease and pest management, farmers have been advised to ensure orchard sanitation through collection and destruction of fallen leaves, pruned/diseased/infected twigs and fallen/mummified fruits.”
