Students join hands with farmers to tackle whitefly infestation in rural Coimbatore

The final-year students of Amrita School of Agricultural Sciences, Coimbatore, under Amrita University, recently conducted a demonstration programme at Muthugoundanur Village, Coimbatore, to create awareness about the identification, prevention, and integrated management of whitefly infestation, which has emerged as a major issue for coconut farmers in the region.

The goal was to create a link between the academic and rural sectors, empowering farmers with new skills and knowledge while helping students gain practical experience. This initiative was part of their Rural Agricultural Work Experience (RAWE) programme, where final-year students apply their academic knowledge to real-world scenarios and engage directly with local farming communities. The programme aimed to provide the villagers with information and practical knowledge on techniques to increase the value and marketability of their produce.

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The demonstration began with an introductory session on the symptoms of whitefly attack, including sooty mold formation, leaf yellowing, and reduced nut yield. The students then explained about the predators and parasitoids that can be used for biological control.

Following the theoretical session, a practical session was conducted in the field on selected coconut farms, showcasing control measures. Students demonstrated the application of a yellow sticky trap. The students also demonstrated the role of parasitoid, Encarsia Guadeloupe, and predators, Apertocrysa astur, in natural pest control.

Then, students explained about the Kisan Call Centre and its helpfulness to farmers. As a part of this, they invited farmers to call the centre and enquire about remedies to their problems in agriculture. Overall, this demonstration was conducted under the guidance of the College Dean, Dr. Sudheesh Manalil, and faculty members Dr. Sivaraj P and Dr. H Shankararaman.

The demonstration was organised by students Meghavarrshini A, Krishna Mahesh, Samyajhna P, Niranjana C, Krishna Bhadra, Aruna V S, Devi Chandana, Adith Krishnan P R, Meenakshy R, and Mohan A.