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Parasite destroying my vegetable crops

Dear Editor,
Some form of assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture is urgently necessary to curb a deadly soil disease affecting a diversity of vegetable crops on my household plot of land at Suddie, Essequibo Coast.

A parasite is destroying the bark of almost all the plants be it young or old between the ground level and the roots causing them to wither up.

All the recommended treatment including the use of Cocide, Rizolex and Capton continues to be of no avail.
Thousands of dollars have been wasted to buy so much drugs and to meet other input costs with me losing all the time instead of deriving some benefits.

It is not at all encouraging to continue planting unless a remedy is found probably by having a soil test done, the earlier the better.
I have since written the Minister of Agriculture on this matter.
Yours faithfully
Baliram Persaud

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14 Responses to “Parasite destroying my vegetable crops”

M. Xiu Quan-Balgobind-Hackett
on October 11th, 2008 8:35 am

You have “written the Minister of Agriculture on this matter.” Await a reply and action. Good that you cc it to SN as well.

[Reply to this]
Vannay
In reply to the above comment on October 13th, 2008 7:55 pm:
This sounds so much like Harry!!

[Reply to this]
Joe Coxall
on October 11th, 2008 9:37 am

Mr, Persaud
You should try the leaves and fruit of the neem tree. Crush it up and mix with water and spray your plants and see what happens.

Joe.

[Reply to this]
Joe Coxall
on October 11th, 2008 9:45 am

Also try spraying the plants with some sugarwater, it will encourage the growth of bacteria colonies that may find the parasites to be just another part of an appetising meal.

Joe.

[Reply to this]
coolieman
In reply to the above comment on October 11th, 2008 12:41 pm:
Good advise Joe unlike my friend Balgobin who seems to have a problem with the govt

[Reply to this]
M. Xiu Quan-Balgobind-Hackett
In reply to the above comment on October 12th, 2008 6:41 am:
Ah, the Govt is trying………
eloise
on October 11th, 2008 1:56 pm

mr persaud
you should listen to mr joe coxall,
you never know, in the west we do help our plan,t s with sope water
you know the one in the bottle that you used to wash your plates
and cup,s with, just mix it with water, and spray the leaves very good
with it, it will help till you get the real thing for
and sugar water is very good for the growth at the root,s

[Reply to this]
Joe Coxall
In reply to the above comment on October 11th, 2008 4:16 pm:
Eloise, you are right. soap water works also.

Joe.

[Reply to this]
Arnold
on October 11th, 2008 2:34 pm

A very good advise Sr Joe, you are thinking of alternatives very Enviromental Friendly..

[Reply to this]
Fulano de Tal
on October 12th, 2008 5:59 pm

NARI is our NATIONAL AGRI RESEARCH INSTITUTE. They should be able to help you out without any problems. If the AFC or the PNC does it it may be seen as their search of political gain. If it’s a soil issue there is obvious need for research & testing to be done on the soil. Based on the test results you ought to be advised on whether the crops you chose to plant are suited for that type of soil. Are your neighbours doing similar crops? Do they have similar complaints? Have they been able to find successful remedies? What are their yields as it relates to the average yeild of the crop(s) you plant. Maybe you should trying cultivating other more durable crops hopefully with the potential to remedy whatever issues your soil may have at present then return to your preferred crop. You could also try intercropping or crop rotation which serves to provide varied biomass as far as the soil is concerned.

[Reply to this]
Fulano de Tal
on October 12th, 2008 6:00 pm

A mixture of neem & brid peppers works well also

[Reply to this]
Joe Coxall
In reply to the above comment on October 12th, 2008 6:30 pm:
Fulano de Tal, did you mean bird pepper? That works also.
So lets make a list
Bird peppers.
Liquid soap
Neem tree leaf and fruit nut grounded up and liquid extracted.
Black coffee
Green tea mixed with a shot of whiskey.

The garden, is filled with good and bad life forms, pesticides do not discriminate. They destroy every living thing, leaving a barren landscape, to be taken over by other drug resistant strains of pests.

Joe

[Reply to this]
Fulano de Tal
In reply to the above comment on October 12th, 2008 6:56 pm:
Yeah Joe, I actually meant bird peppers. Sometimes with the brainstorm & the brain working faster than the fingers I slip up. Bird, peppers, nees, crushed eggshells, citrus leaves or citronella all serve as good organic pesticides. I’m not too into the soap for plants because of its caustic component even though it’s very effective against the “snowy/cottony like blights” on soursop. Soap tends to work where you need to dissolve water resistant protective capsules or coats of certain parasites
Caesar
on October 12th, 2008 9:19 pm

There is something attacking the root of the plant and eating the roots. It is most likely a bug underground.

[Reply to this]