Urgent Need for Awareness on Preventing Thistle Infestations

Haveri

Thistle weed infestation is wreaking havoc on agriculture in Haveri district, with the destructive thorny weed causing significant damage to the cowpea crop. Two farmers, frustrated by the overwhelming presence of the weed, have been forced to completely destroy their crops on 9 acres of land.

Karabasappa Agasibagila, a farmer from Kuli village in Ranebennur taluk, uprooted his 4-acre cowpea crop, while Giriyappa Mallappa Sannagulappa, another farmer in the area, destroyed the crop on his 5 acres using a tractor rotavator. Both farmers expressed frustration over the lack of effective solutions for the infestation.

The widespread thistle growth has been attributed to several factors, including the overuse of herbicides, lack of crop rotation, and unpredictable weather conditions. With no specific remedy for controlling thistle, farmers are left with few options.

“I spent around Rs 70,000 on cultivating the land and sowing cowpea, but now, along with cowpea, thistle has overtaken the fields,” said Karabasappa Agasibagila. “There’s no way to control it, so I’ve had to destroy my entire crop.”

Giriyappa Mallappa echoed similar sentiments, revealing that the thistle infestation had ruined his maize crop as well.

In an effort to combat the infestation, Karabasappa also spent Rs 10,000 on herbicide spraying. However, despite this investment, the weeds persisted. He further mentioned that farm workers were demanding Rs 1,20,000 per acre to uproot the thistles, but even that solution yielded little improvement.

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Farmers in the district are urging the agriculture department to provide awareness programs and introduce precautionary measures to prevent further thistle infestations. Earlier, the land was free from such weeds, and crops like millet, cotton, and onions were grown successfully.