RAJSHAHI — Cold injury and winter-related diseases are damaging betel leaf crops in the Mohanpur upazila of Rajshahi, with leaves turning red and yellow and then withering, growers and agriculture officials said.
Betel leaf was planted on 1,317 hectares in Mohanpur upazila this year, according to local officials. The cash crop is traded at markets that have sprung up locally, sparing farmers the need to travel long distances to sell their harvest.
A cold spell and dense fog across parts of Mohanpur have caused cold injury to the leaves, while some plots are also reporting root rot. Affected leaves turn red and yellow, and some are drying out entirely.
Farmers said the leaves first turn red and yellow, then start drying from the underside before withering and falling off. They are taking heavy financial losses because betel leaf prices are typically higher at this time of year, they said.
Kobad Ali, a pesticide dealer at Kesharhat, said no pesticide effectively prevents cold-related leaf drop, though farmers commonly use products such as Ripcord, Confidor, Sulcox, chelated zinc and Root Power.
Mosammat Mostakima Khatun, agriculture officer for Mohanpur upazila, said growers are being advised to use polythene covers to protect crops from cold injury, along with pesticide treatments.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report