Terminator pest attacks teak forest

A mature teak forest spread over 500,000 hectares in Adilabad district faces the possibility of extinction in another four to five years from the threat of an insect called the 'skeletoniser' pest, which has hit teak forests on an epidemic scale during this monsoon season.

The sub-divisional forest officer, B. Prabhakar, speaking from Ichoda in the district, said the new danger in no way made the continuing threat of large scale illegal felling of teak forests any less. "It only adds to the threat." The insect pest also known as Albia Pleura eats away the green leaves of the teak tree leaving only the veins.

"This completely stops the process of photosynthesis for tree's survival. As a result, the growth of a tree is affected to begin with and in the long term dries up and dies."

The official claimed he studied the latest problem to some extent and was concerned.

"The insect pest is a black fly and the green larva eats away the leaf. The epidemic hit the forest just before the monsoon began. This being the first year of the pest attack, we may lose only one growth ring but, in the long term, we may lose the entire forest," Prabhakar warned after sending samples of the pest to Hyderabad for further research.

While the results are still awaited, some forest officials believe the long heat wave spell in May may have encouraged the pest to attack. The deputy conservator of forests (social forestry), Mahender Reddy, however, said while the teak trees had lost their leaves, regeneration was taking place.

"Regeneration of leaves means the tree will register growth. Fresh and strong leaves are sprouting on the trees at present," Reddy said, more hopeful than Prabhakar.

"The deputy conservator of forests also said that wherever atmospheric moisture was high, the pest was absent. For example, moisture is abundant near the government's water projects. No pest has attacked the Kalva teak nursery in Dilawarpur Mandal, probably because of the high atmospheric moisture there."