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MULTAN, Jul 16 (APP):The third meeting of the Farmer Advisory Committee (FAC) issued recommendations for cotton growers until July 31 to help them get maximum production.
The recommendations were issued after a meeting held at the Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI), Multan on Wednesday, under the chairmanship of Director Sabahat Hussain.
Agricultural experts from various departments participated and discussed the overall cotton crop condition across the country, especially focusing on the impact of recent and upcoming rains.
The committee urged the cotton growers to ensure immediate drainage of rainwater from fields within 24 hours of rainfall. The farmers were also suggested to perform hoeing after soil moisture for weed control but avoid tractor hoeing in taller crops.
The committee also asked farmers to apply foliar spray of micronutrients including potassium nitrate/sulfate, magnesium sulfate, zinc sulfate, boric acid, iron sulfate, and urea, mixed in 100 liters of water per acre. Use sulfur through irrigation (5β8 kg/acre) to improve seed health, committee stressed.
Keeping in view the attack of whitefly, the FAC recommended farmers to monitor and manage whitefly and jassid (green leafhopper) after rains using sticky traps and recommended insecticides.
Address pink bollworm threat by installing pheromone traps (1 for monitoring, 8 for control per acre).
Farmers growing cotton for seed production should complete rogueing promptly and avoid harvesting during rains. Only retain seed cotton with over 80% germination rate, recommendations added.
CCRI experts Dr. Muhammad Naveed Afzal, Sajid Mahmood, Dr. Muhammad Akbar, Dr. Noor Muhammad, Dr. Farzana Akbar, Dr. Rabia Saeed, and Junaid Ahmed Khan Daha were present at the meeting.
The next session of the committee was scheduled for August 1, 2025.