Grub worm destroying Muguka in Kirinyaga

 Grub worm destroying Muguka in Kirinyaga

Manure worms have invaded Miraa farms in Kirinyaga County.

Grub worms have invaded Kirinyaga are wreaking havoc on Muguka farms.

Farmers are worried that the worms will wipe out thousands of acres of their crop if urgent measures are not taken.

In Kirinyaga, they have infested Mugambaciura, Kanjinji, Murinduko and Ngucui where muguka is grown in large scale.

The grubs which are giant larva is attacking the plant roots, leaving them to die and drying up.

Farmers started uprooting some of the affected muguka stems.

Maina said that most farmers have been using manure to enrich the plants, without knowing that they are taking the larva to the crop.

The most affected crops are where farmers have been using manure to enrich them, the larva has been transported right from the cowsheds o the farm said Maina.

Mercy Kamau a farmer in Mugambaciura said, "I'm losing Sh30,000 every week following the invasion of my one acre of muguka farm and it is now difficult for me to meet all my financial obligations.

Farmers said the pesticide used has turned out to be resistant calling for assistance.

"The chemicals we buy from the market are not killing the worms and we need to be helped," added Ms Kamau.

The farmers are now turning to ingenious methods like applying ashes to control the worms that still not working.

"We are applying ashes in a bid to control these pests. We are also removing out the worms and crushing them. However, the methods are not very effective," another farmer Ann Wawira lamented.

Most farmers depend on Muguka for their livelihood saying it is getting hard to provide basics due to the low income they are getting from the yields.

"Muguka is the only remaining crop which is giving us good money but it is now being destroyed. We need a solution to the problem," said Musyoka

An agricultural scientist Dr. John Wanyaga said such worms are highly destructive and they should be tamed as soon as possible.

Wanyaga said there are good chemicals which can be sprayed and get rid of the worms.

"Chemicals used to kill cutworms are the same ones which are sprayed on grub worms. Farmers should go for them to save their Muguka crop," he said.

He has however called on farmers to stop panicking saying the worm is controllable.

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