FAC Issues Fortnightly Advisory For Cotton Farmers

MULTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Aug, 2021 ) :Farmers Advisory Committee (FAC) Tuesday issued its fortnightly guidelines for cotton farmers applicable from Aug 1-15 advising farmers to drain out stagnant water from field in case of rains and do not let crop under stress to make the most of its ongoing phase of flower and boll formation.

In the fifth FAC meeting chaired by director Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI) Multan Dr. Zahid Mahmood and attended by experts, farmers were urged not to let crop face shortage of implements like water, fertilizers to continue their growth momentum. However, farmers should avoid water application in case of rains and opt for only light irrigation when needed. Farmers must not let rainwater stagnating, experts said adding that it should be drained out.

Emergence of white flowers at the top of plants indicate growth stoppage, a problem that can be tackled through application of water and fertilizers. Crop sown in May must undergo hoeing for removal of weeds.

Experts said that the crop sown for the purpose of obtaining seed must be taken care of properly. After completion of picking, the picked cotton (Phutti) must be dried and made to pass through the ginning process without any delay. It should be dried again after ginning.

Other cotton variety plants must be separated from the field developed to obtain cotton seed for purity.

Experts also advised farmers to apply micronutrient to improve boll size. They prescribed spray application of fertilizers and micronutrient including 300 gram Zinc Sulphate, 200 gm Boric Acid, 300 gram Magnesium Sulphate, and 2 kilogram Urea in 100 litres of water per acre. The crop that did not receive Potash, or sown on sandy soil or irrigated by tube wells, should get 10 kilogram Potassium fertilizers through irrigation.

Farmers advised to apply Dinotypheron, or Naiton Pyram, or FlonicaMid to control Jassid in case it reaches its economic threshold level (ETL) of one pest per leaf. To contain Thrips when it reaches its ETL of 100 per leaf, farmers should apply Chlorfenapyr or Spinetoram. In case of Heliothis attack, farmers should apply Leofinoran on affected plants. Meeting also advised farmers to install yellow sticky pheromone cards or boxes in fields and to kill Dusky Cotton Bug farmers can apply Clothiandin spray. Upon noticing the colour of leaf turning black, farmers can apply tebunonazole plus Trifloxystrobin or Copper oxychloride spray in water. Experts said that farmers should consult officials on how to apply the above mentioned treatments and in what quantity.

Heads of different wings of CCRI Multan including Dr. Naveed Afzal, Dr. Idrees, Dr. Fayyaz, Ms Sabahat Hussain, Sajid Mahmood, Ilyas Sarwar and scientific officer Junaid Ahmad Daha attended the meeting.