The Punjab Agriculture Department has urged the farmers to cultivate triple-gene cotton varieties for early sowing to achieve higher yields, advising them to purchase certified seed only from authorized dealers to ensure better crop performance.
Farmers advised to opt for triple-gene varieties for early cotton cultivation
FAISALABAD, Mar 12 (APP): The Punjab Agriculture Department has urged the farmers to cultivate triple-gene cotton varieties for early sowing to achieve higher yields, advising them to purchase certified seed only from authorized dealers to ensure better crop performance.
A spokesman of Agriculture (Extension) Department said here on Thursday that the farmers planning early cotton cultivation should maintain a row-to-row distance of 2.5 feet and plant-to-plant spacing of 1.5 to 2 feet to ensure healthy crop growth. He said that the growers should use 4 to 5 kilograms of treated seed per acre with more than 75 percent germination while the seed with around 60 percent germination should be used at the rate of 5 to 6 kg per acre.
He further explained that balanced fertilizer application remained essential for achieving maximum yield. For weak soils, the farmers should apply two bags of DAP, about 4.25 bags of urea and 1.5 bags of SOP per acre.
In medium-fertility soils, around 1.75 bags of DAP, nearly 3.75 bags of urea and 1.5 bags of SOP per acre were recommended while fertile soils required about 1.5 bags of DAP, roughly 3.25 bags of urea and 1.5 bags of SOP per acre, he added.
He said that the entire quantity of phosphorus and potash fertilizers along with one-fourth of nitrogen fertilizer should be applied at the time of land preparation to ensure proper nutrient availability for the crop.
Highlighting the economic benefits of early sowing, the spokesman said that the farmers could obtain an estimated yield of 50 to 60 maunds per acre through early cotton cultivation.
The growers should prioritize cotton sowing on the land that becomes vacant after harvesting crops such as canola, potato, peas and sugarcane in order to maximize profits and improve farm productivity, he added.
