Cotton crop hit by severe pest attack

Published August 22, 2017
Farmers spray pesticide over cotton crop.—APP/File
Farmers spray pesticide over cotton crop.—APP/File

ISLAMABAD: The cotton zone districts of Punjab have come under pest attack, and the agriculture department has advised growers to carry out pest scouting twice a week.

Sowing season for the cash crop during kharif has already been completed, and harvesting will begin in September to be completed in October. Punjab produces 80pc of the total crop while Sindh has the share of 20pc.

Cotton Commissioner Dr Khalid Abdullah told Dawn that the government has revised the target of production, and now it is fixed at 12.6m bales against the original target of 14m bales.

According to officials of Punjab Agriculture Department, hot spots have been discovered in 11 cotton growing districts where growers have been advised to apply a new chemistry of pesticides before the pest attack reaches the level of economic loss.

Naveed Asmat Kahloon, an official of the agriculture department Multan, told Dawn that nearly a dozen types of pests have been found attacking the cotton crop. Among these pests are whitefly, jassid, thrips, mealybug, big bowl worm, armyworm and heliothis, which are sucking insect pests of cotton.

The less affected areas are Okara, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Lieyah and Rajanpur, whereas among the hard hit areas are Rahimyar Khan, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Multan, Sahiwal and Pakpatan.

Mr Kahloon said that the attack of thrips was becoming serious since it destroys buds and flowers, resulting in the declining production.

The department has advised cotton growers to carry out power spray twice a day, preferably, and avoid repeating use of the same pesticide. During rain and strong wind, the spray should be stopped.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2017

Follow Dawn Business on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook for insights on business, finance and tech from Pakistan and across the world.

Opinion

Editorial

CPEC slowdown
09 Dec, 2024

CPEC slowdown

ISLAMABAD has reached out to Beijing to expedite a visit of China’s technical and finance teams to Pakistan to...
Madressah bill
09 Dec, 2024

Madressah bill

A CONTROVERSY has been brewing over the Societies Registration (Amendment) Act, 2024, with the JUI-F slamming ...
Protecting varsities
09 Dec, 2024

Protecting varsities

THE recent proposal by the Sindh cabinet to shoehorn in non-PhD bureaucrats as vice chancellors has sparked concern...
Stirring trouble
Updated 08 Dec, 2024

Stirring trouble

The demands put forth this time are simple and doable at little political cost.
Unfairness in cricket
08 Dec, 2024

Unfairness in cricket

HOPES that cricketing ties between Pakistan and India would be strengthened by the latter team’s visit across the...
Syria rebel advance
08 Dec, 2024

Syria rebel advance

CITY after city in Syria is falling into rebel hands as Bashar al-Assad’s government looks increasingly vulnerable...