Mangalore : Asha Thimmappa Gowda, president of the Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat, said here on Monday that the government should conduct a scientific study on the ingredients of the new brands of chemical solutions available for fighting ‘kole roga’ (fruit rot disease) of arecanut.

Addressing farmers and officials at a function organised by the Department of Horticulture, she said instead of the traditional copper sulphate and lime mixture, growers had started using new brands of chemical solutions to fight ‘kole roga’. The brand names of those solutions started with “Bio”, probably in a bid to make farmers believe that they were of organic in nature. But, nobody knew whether they caused health hazards.

Ms. Gowda said like endosulfan, spraying of which in cashew plantations resulted in health problems in Dakshina Kannada and Kasaragod district in Kerala, new brands of chemical solutions to fight ‘kole roga’ should not lead to other problems. A scientific study was required to know whether it affected the health of the people.

Ms. Gowda said nobody had been able to suggest a remedy to wipe out ‘kole roga’. The government should take up an extensive research to find out a permanent remedy.

The Horticulture Department organised the function to observe the birth anniversary of late M. H. Mari Gowda, considered to be the father of horticulture.

Ivan D’Souza, MLC, said one could earn up to Rs. 50,000 a month by cultivating jasmine on five cents of land. As there was good and continuous demand for jasmine, the department should promote its cultivation in a bigger way.

S. D. Sampath Samrajya, president, Dakshina Kannada Krishik Samaj, said the government should add chapters on agriculture and horticulture in syllabi of schools and colleges to create interest among students to take up farming. The Hindu