Cotton facing major crisis after pest attack

Cotton is facing a major crisis following a severe attack of Mealee Bug and cotton curl-leaf virus (CLCV) in Multan, Khanewal, Lodhran and Vehari in particular, and a number of other districts in general, it is learnt.
Commenting on the present alarming situation, former National Assembly speaker Syed Fakhar Imam said that the cash crop was facing major crisis, but no strategy had been evolved so far. He demanded of the government to take quick steps to save the growers from a great financial setback.
Criticising the Punjab Agriculture (Extension) Department, he said no recommendations had been made by the concerned authorities to assist the cotton growers in controlling this menace.
"The Federal and provincial governments should utilise all their research and resources to control the diseases," he said, and added: "If an immediate action is not taken to stop the pest attack, the country's cotton target will fall behind 13.8 million bales."
He said the cotton and cotton-based products constituted 62 percent of the country's total export, while the cotton industry employed 40 percent of industrial labour. Commenting on CLCV, he said the present approved cotton varieties were not resistant to the disease and being affected by the virus this year.
Cotton crop was also greatly affected by CLCV in 1992 that reduced Pakistan's cotton production to below 10 million bales yearly. Presently, the CLCV attack on cotton crop in certain areas is from 30 percent to 40 percent that can reduce the overall production.
Cotton experts say that September is the most critical and sensitive month for cotton crop, which needs an organised management. "The Integrated pest management programme must be very efficient during September because only this month brings about more than 60 percent of the total yield," they opined.
"The growers should remain very alert, vigilant and attentive paying continuous visits to their fields. The attack of white fly and heliothis is very common during the month which might destroy the entire crop," they said.
They said: "Regular pesticide sprays manage the white fly, which not only kills the adult, but also destroys its eggs. The best spraying time to control white fly is early in the morning or afternoon when air is not in blow," they added.
The experts said the efficient control of helithis or American Boll Warm during this month was very essential to get maximum yield, otherwise it would eat away all the floral parts and leaves of the cotton plant. "During the night hours, its female lays eggs in thousands regularly. In this situation, the growers must use required pesticides," they opined.