FAISALABAD: The agriculture experts have advised the cotton growers to adopt off-season management strategy as it is imperative to save cotton crops from the attack of Gulabi Sundi (pink bollworm).
A spokesman for the agriculture department said on Monday, “60 countries are producing cotton in the world while Pakistan is at 4th position among them and Punjab province shares 70 percent of total cotton production in the country”.
Cotton is a precious cash crop which not only plays pivotal role in strengthening national economy but also helps in mitigating financial constraints of the growers, he said, adding that some time the cotton growers had to face colossal loss due to attack of insects including Gulabi Sundi which was the worst enemy of cotton crop as there was no host plant for it other than cotton.
He advised the cotton growers to adopt off-season management strategy to save their cotton crops from attack of Gulabi Sundi (pink bollworm).
Elaborating, he said, “Pink bollworm goes in winter nap during November and December and its eggs remain present on cotton seeds, branches and dried leafs in farms and ginning factories. When they get sufficient temperature after winter, they again become active”.
Giving further details, he said that the farmers should cut the branches of cotton crops nearer to earth up to January 31 and keep them in the sunshine so that Gulabi Sundi, its larva and eggs could die.
The remains of cotton crops at growers’ farm and in ginning factories should be burnt besides using rotavater plough in the cotton field after completely harvesting the crop so that next crop could be saved from the attack of this pest, he said.
The farmers can also use Chlorpyrifos pesticide in water and flood the field where eggs or larvae of Gulabi Sundi was found after harvesting cotton crop for complete eradication of (pink bollworm), he added.