The Cotton Crop Management Group (CCMG) has recommended cotton growers make special arrangements and adopt special measures to combat with highly hazardous pest attack aimed favourable rainy weather and asked the farmers to observe continuous pest scouting.
Briefing the journalists over CCMG recommendations for cotton crop here Multan Central Cotton Research Institute Director Sajid Masood Shah said the CCMG has recommended continue pest scouting for sucking and bollworms on Bt and non-Bt crops twice a week. The growers have been asked using Growth Regulators for better management of immature stages of whitefly.
The humid climate favours the flare up of Jassid attack which needs to combat at its early stage. The rainy season in cotton belt would favour the armyworm attack. The dusky cotton bug can be effectively controlled by using recommended insecticide at this stage of crop.
The CCRI Director said that special vigilance to the Heliothis pest to avoid its epidemic spread. All sorts of precautionary measures be adopted while spaying the insecticides. The CCMG has recommended the farmers drain excessive water immediately after rains to save mortality.
Eradication of Weeds may be given highest priority to evade competition, recommendations said. The farmers are asked to irrigate crop regularly to avoid the water deficiency stress. The foliar spray of micro-nutrients can reduce shedding and timely picking of open bolls for management of dusky cotton bug. The crop was sown in March, April had been observed under stress in many areas and growers apply irrigation, fertilizer, and weeding and insects control to overcome stresses to recoup its normal growth.
The white flower on the top of plant is an indication of severe stress at present. The nodes above white flower should be 5-7 during July and 4-5 during August is an indicator of normal plant growth, while nodes above this range excessive growth and below stress condition.