Sow Cotton On Ridges To Minimize Damages From Rains

Sowing cotton on ridges can minimize losses from unexpected rains, says director, Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI), Multan, Dr Zahid Mahmood in a cotton advisory issued here Thursday

MULTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Apr, 2019 ) :Sowing cotton on ridges can minimize losses from unexpected rains, says director, Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI), Multan, Dr Zahid Mahmood in a cotton advisory issued here Thursday.

In a statement, he said that it was high time farmers give up the traditional ways of sowing crop and opt for sowing on ridges which not only reduces losses in case of unexpected rains but also improves seed germination and saves water.

He advised farmers to complete cotton sowing till May 31 and plan in advance on scientific lines to get the best production results.

The CCRI Multan director said that farmers should select varieties for sowing in accordance with their resources.Land vacated by wheat should be prepared and sown the same day for cotton and a half bag of Urea per acre be applied at the time of sowing to trigger rot in the remains of wheat crop that would subsequently support cotton seed germination.

Fur-free cotton seed be sown at the rate of six-kilogram per acre in case of seed germination strength of 75 per cent and eight-kilogram in case of 60 per cent germination strength.Field must be levelled to get desired number of production plants per acre and to ensure that inputs reach all plants uniformly.Sowing should preferably be done by drill and farmers should arrange almost 10 per cent more than required seed so that it can be sown again in case of low germination.

He said that farmers should use only registered and certified seed varieties. He said that for the cotton season 2019-20, the CCRI Multan had recommended Bt varieties including CIM-632, CIM-602, CIM-598, CIM-599, CIM-600, CIM-177, CIM-178, and CIM-179. Non-Bt varieties included CIM-610, CIM-620, CIM-534, CIM-124, and CIM-496.He said that farmers should bring at least 10 per cent of their area under non-Bt cotton cultivation.