Jeongseon County in Gangwon Province announced on the 16th that it will be implementing a public control pesticide support project for cyst nematodes this year to maintain a stable production base for highland field crops. The county plans to provide pesticide support along with pest and disease monitoring activities, and strengthen continuous on-site inspections and technical guidance throughout the growing period, while collaborating with related agencies to enhance control effectiveness and maintaining a systematic response system. Lee Kyung-cheon, director of the Nongseon Agricultural Technology Center, said, "As consumer trust in Jeongseon agricultural products is increasing, maintaining a stable production base is most important," and added, "We will preemptively and systematically control cyst nematodes to further strengthen the competitiveness of highland vegetables." [Provided by Jeongseon County. Resale and database prohibited] (Jeongseon=Yonhap News) Reporter Yang Ji-woong = Jeongseon County in Gangwon Province announced on the 16th that it will be implementing a public control pesticide support project for cyst nematodes this year to maintain a stable production base for highland field crops. Cyst nematodes, which are pests managed by the national quarantine, interfere with the nutrient and moisture supply to cabbage roots, causing symptoms such as reduced growth and poor heading, making prevention the most important measure. The county has taken preemptive measures for pest and disease management in response to the increasing demand and preference for Jeongseon agricultural products, which are grown in a clean natural environment, aiming to respond stably to the increased demand. In particular, as climate change has led to an increase in the occurrence of pests and diseases, and concerns about soil infection spreading due to continuous cropping have grown, the control of cyst nematodes, which harm highland vegetables such as cabbage and Chinese cabbage, has become an important task. This year's occurrence status was recorded in 35 farms in four townships, including Gohan-eup, Hwaam-myeon, Nam-myeon, and Imgye-myeon, covering 68.8 hectares. The county plans to continue control work until November after providing pesticide support to the farms, spending over 700 million won. The support content is applied differently depending on the crop and management type. Fumigation and non-fumigation agents will be provided twice to 15 cabbage farms covering 43.9 hectares, and non-fumigation agents will be provided twice to 20 farms growing Chinese cabbage and non-host crops (crops that are not hosts for pests and diseases) covering 24.9 hectares. Non-fumigation agents will also be provided twice to 41 management plots covering 47.4 hectares to control cyst nematodes.