Cotton growers advised for pest scouting

FAISALABAD, Jun 16 (APP):The agriculture experts have advised the cotton growers to take extraordinary measures and conduct pest scouting regularly to save crops from colossal loss.

A spokesman of Agriculture department said here on Monday that attack of whitefly was witnessed in many cotton producing districts including Multan, Khanewal, Vehari and Lodhran, etc.

He said that during recent study, the experts have noticed a sharp rise in whitefly populations which poses a serious threat to early sown cotton crops. Therefore, the growers are advised to take immediate and extraordinary measures to protect their cotton crops from pest attacks, he added.

He said that hot and dry weather creates ideal conditions for rapid reproduction of whitefly whereas early sown cotton is already under attack while the seasonal cotton crops are also at risk of imminent infestation.

He recommended regular pest scouting at least twice in a week and said that scouting should be conducted preferably during morning or evening hours. The farmers should also remove weeds both inside and around the fields as these are also helpful for whitefly activities, he added.

He said that the farmers should install Chrysoperla cards (20 per acre) and yellow sticky traps (15–20 per acre) to monitor and control pest levels. They should also ensure that cotton crops are not water-stressed as proper and timely watering is also imperative to enhance plant resilience, he added.

He also recommended chemical use to control pest attack and said that the farmers should ensure proper calibration of spray machines and use hollow cone nozzles.

He said that spraying should only be done if the whitefly population reaches the economic threshold level of 5 adults or nymphs per leaf and it should be carried out in the evening by using a power sprayer.

All such actions should be undertaken in consultation with agricultural experts to ensure effectiveness and safety, he added.