Immediate laying of a net over a nursery bed can prevent pests that attack seedlings as the intruders search for cell sap, leaves, or stems to feed on.

Many a time, seedlings die following heavy infestation, which also puts them at risk of contracting diseases transmitted by pests like insects.

A new net or repaired one would keep away grasshoppers and snails that feed on the leaves of the young plants. Caterpillars attack leaves and stems of tomatoes, cabbage, and chilly, among others.

Similarly, nets would also keep off moths, which lay eggs on the seedling at night. The eggs later hatch into larvae before cutting the stems or feeding on the leaves.

Whiteflies cause massive damage to young plants too. They suck the cell sap besides transmitting viral diseases. Notably, Access Agriculture, an agricultural research institution, says the flies die after the first application of pesticide. By the second and subsequent application, the fly could have created resistance against the pesticide.

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That means the pesticide will go to waste besides endangering humans and the environment because of their chemical components.

Laying a shield does not require much expertise. With a locally available net, a farmer can pin small posts around the nursery bed and lay strong sticks from one end to the other to elevate the net to about one meter.

Approximately one meter of the material is covered by the soil around the bed to prevent the entry of pests.

Watering can be done directly from outside the shield. It should be removed only when the seedlings are ready to be transplanted.

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