The agriculture department, Punjab, has issued the cotton crop management plan for the current fortnight under contemporary conditions. According to the plan, farmers have been advised to remove weeds in and around cotton field by careful application of glyphosate of 1.0 litre to 2.5 litre per acre depending upon the extent of presence of weeds.
The agriculture experts have underlined that in case of over growth of cotton plants mepiquate chloride at the rate of 400 ml per acre may be used after ascertaining that the plants are not under water stress. According to the advisory, farmers should spray 1 urea bag per acre in case of stunt cotton crop growth and if need be even after complete fertiliser application then spray 2 kg of urea + magnesium sulphate of 300 gram + boric acid 250 gram + zinc sulphate 200 gram in 100 litre water per acre may be sprayed.
The farmers have also been advised to undertake regular pest scouting of cotton crop to protect crop from the attack of armyworm, jassid and whitefly. According to the spokesman of the agriculture department, guidance is being extended to cotton growers for proper transportation/transfer of contamination free cotton as arrival of cotton has started significantly in cotton growing districts.