Special Vigilance Against Whiteflies Onslaught On Cotton Stressed

MULTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Aug, 2023 ) :The recent increase in attacks by the whitefly on cotton crops could be dangerous and it necessitates that farmers should implement the recommendations of agricultural experts for its effective control, said Director Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI) Dr Zahid Mahmood.

In a statement, Dr Zahid emphasized that the prevailing factors contributing to the whitefly infestation were the current humid and warm weather conditions. Dr. Zahid Mahmood suggested that the farmers should utilize yellow sticky traps to control whiteflies and, if necessary, resort to using chemicals advised by agricultural experts.

Whiteflies tend to get trapped in the adhesive nature of the yellow sticky traps placed around and within the cotton fields, without the need for sprays. Cotton farmers have been advised to place 10 yellow sticky traps per acre according to the experts guidelines. These traps prevent the rapid proliferation of whiteflies in the cotton fields, thereby helping to limit their growth and avoiding the development of hotspots or a substantial increase in their numbers.

In cases of severe whitefly attacks, the number of traps can be increased. However, if the infestation continues despite the use of yellow sticky traps, the recommendation is to turn to agricultural experts for advice and consider the use of recommended chemicals. It's essential for farmers not to repeatedly use the same chemicals but to rotate their usage as directed by experts. Dr. Zahid Mahmood stressed if the infestation crosses the economic threshold of 5 whiteflies per mature plant, whether adult or juvenile, farmers must make use of the recommended agricultural chemicals.

For controlling whitefly infestations in cotton, farmers can use various chemicals such as Flonicamid 80g, Pyriproxyfen 400ml, Acetamiprid 150ml, or Spirotetramat 125ml + Bio Power 250g per 100 liters of water, which can be sprayed across the field according to the acreage, he proposed.