Armenian ministry of agriculture urges farmers to fight against potato moth

YEREVAN, October 31. /ARKA/. Armenian First Deputy Minister of Agriculture Grigory Baghian recommends the country’s farmers to replace Solanaceae (potatoes, egg-plants, tobacco, tomatoes, pepper, and etc.) with others to fight against potato moth.

“It is the only efficient way to beat the potato moth”, Baghian told a press conference. According to the Deputy Minister, farmers should plant, for example, wheat instead and want for 2-3 years until the moth disappears. “No other method, neither chemicals nor pheromone traps, has the required effect”, Baghian said.

According to Baghian, potato moth is not typical for Armenia and was imported together with the seeds of Solanaceae.

Baghian informed that the moth is currently spread in Ararat and Armavir regions of Armenia and in the villages of Masis and Echmiadzin. The Deputy Minister found it difficult to tell any certain amount of the damage caused by the moth so far.

Potato moth is a thermophilic insect that develops not only in summer, but also in winter at temperatures above 10 degrees. The pest adapts easily to moderate latitudes. –0—