MULTAN:Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI), Multan, has issued recommendations for cotton growers to improve picking quality, preserve seed, control pink bollworm and prepare for the next cotton season by October 31. The recommendations were announced at the institute’s 12th meeting of the Farmers Advisory Committee, chaired by Director Dr. Sabahat Hussain. Agricultural experts from various departments attended the meeting and reviewed the current status of the cotton crop.
The committee recommended using cotton-cloth bags for picking to prevent the mixing of unwanted material with seed cotton. Picking should begin from the lower part of the plant and gradually proceed upwards to minimise the inclusion of leaves and other impurities. Cotton fallen on the ground should not be mixed with clean, quality-picked cotton, while produce from pink bollworm-infested bolls should be picked carefully and kept separate. Farmers were also advised to ensure that cotton remained free of trash and other foreign material and to begin picking only after the dew had dried.
Regarding seed preservation, growers who had cultivated cotton for seed production were advised to complete picking of the selected bolls as soon as possible. The produce should be properly sun-dried before ginning, and the germination capacity of the seed must be tested. Only seed with a germination rate above 80 per cent should be retained for the next crop. Seed moisture should be maintained at around 10 per cent before storage, and seed from different varieties should be stored separately to preserve varietal identity and purity.
The committee further recommended spraying two kilogrammes of urea mixed in 100 litres of water in fields having eight to 10 green bolls per plant to help the existing bolls open.
For pink bollworm control, growers with eight to 10 bolls per plant who had not used pheromone traps were advised to monitor infestation and apply chemical control where necessary. Recommended options included Spinetoram at 100 millilitres per acre, a mixture of chlorantraniliprole and lambda-cyhalothrin at 160 millilitres per acre, or a mixture of deltamethrin and triazophos at 100 millilitres per acre, each mixed with 100 litres of water. Farmers were advised to follow the approved product labels and consult agricultural experts before spraying.
To prevent the spread of pink bollworm in the next season, farmers were advised to allow sheep and goats to graze in fields after the final picking or use the CCRI Multan Pink Bollworm Machine to destroy unopened and infested bolls remaining on plants. The measure could help reduce pest reproduction and the risk of infestation in the following crop. Seed cotton selected for preservation should not be affected by pink bollworm or rain.