GHARM, July 15, 3005, Asia-Plus — Spread of the Colorado potato beetle has been one of the most acute problems facing districts in the Rasht Valley, eastern Tajikistan over the past six years.
Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, the deputy chairman of the Rasht district, Qanoatsho Loiqov, said that the Colorado potato beetle had appeared in the region in the 1980s already, when potato seeds had been delivered here from the Netherlands. According to him, the most hit area is the Jirgatol district.
“The Ministry of Agriculture and local authorities are able and should help the population and farming units combat the Colorado potato beetle,” said Loiqov, “In the meantime, people are compelled to collect and burn the beetles every morning.”
According to representatives of international organizations such as FAO, UNDP and the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), they have provided the population and farms with special pumps for spraying insecticides.
Meanwhile, local farmers say that they have not yet received any assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture.
The Colorado potato beetle is known for its ability to rapidly develop resistance to insecticides that are used repeatedly for control. Colorado potato beetles overwinter (spend the winter) in the soil as adults. They become active in the spring as temperatures rise and begin to feed on weeds and early planted potatoes, even digging down into the soil to attack emerging new plants.
