Archive · 12 Nov 2025
Coimbatore Students and Farmers Collaborate to Combat Whitefly Infestation
Imagine tiny white bugs that are making coconut trees sick in a village called Coimbatore.
Some smart students from a university came to help!
They showed the farmers how to spot these bugs and stop them from hurting the trees.
They taught them about using special sticky traps that catch the bugs and also about tiny helpful insects and bugs that eat the bad ones.
The students also told the farmers about a phone number they can call to get more help with their farming problems.
It was like a school lesson, but happening right on the farms, and everyone learned together!
Amrita University students partnered with coconut farmers in Muthugoundanur Village, Coimbatore, to address whitefly infestation.
The initiative, part of the Rural Agricultural Work Experience (RAWE) program, focused on awareness, identification, prevention, and integrated management of the pest.
Students demonstrated techniques including yellow sticky traps and the use of natural predators like Encarsia Guadeloupe and Apertocrysa astur for biological control.
The program aimed to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and practical farming needs, enhancing farmers' skills and marketability of produce.
Information about the Kisan Call Centre was shared, encouraging farmers to utilize it for agricultural problem-solving.
- Who
- Final-year students from Amrita School of Agricultural Sciences and local coconut farmers
- What
- Conducted a demonstration program on identification, prevention, and integrated management of whitefly infestation
- When
- Recently
- Where
- Muthugoundanur Village, Coimbatore
- Why
- To address the whitefly infestation affecting coconut farmers, foster a link between academia and rural sectors, and empower farmers with new knowledge and skills.
- Location
- Muthugoundanur Village, Coimbatore
- Participating Institution
- Amrita School of Agricultural Sciences, Coimbatore
- Program Focus
- Whitefly infestation management in coconut farming
- Key Techniques Demonstrated
- Yellow sticky traps, biological control (Encarsia Guadeloupe, Apertocrysa astur)
- Additional Resource Mentioned
- Kisan Call Centre