‘Cotton must be picked before January to end PBW infestation’

With the cotton time in Maharashtra is about to end, this year also observed the continual attacks of Pink Boll Worms (PBW) on the crop.

In buy to break the daily life cycle of PBW, the area Krishi Vigyan Kendras and Agriculture Universities have recommended farmers to terminate their cotton crop in Maharashtra by December.

Nonetheless, the crops are still in the fields in many cotton-rising districts. According to the Point out Sowing Report on October ten for kharif time, the location under the crop experienced attained 42.eighty three lakh hectares, while the common is forty one.eighty three lakh hectares. In main districts these as Yavatmal, cotton was planted on 4.65 lakh hectares and five.30 lakh hectares in Jalgaon.

Agriculture Scientist and Entomologist at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Yavatmal, Pramod Magar stated that in spite of the advisories farmers continue to hold their cotton crop till January or February, which allows the PBW manage the daily life cycle till up coming sowing time (May well-end or early June).

Breaking the cycle

The insect populace keeps raising foremost to attacks in the up coming time. Hence terminating the crop is necessary to end attacks of PBW. A hole demands to be created in the feeding cycle of the pests, he stated.

Magar stated that in a PBW-infested plant, some cotton bowls keep on being partly ruined with some cotton still left in the bowls, for that reason, the farmers manage these diseased crops in the fields with a drive to get some residual cotton. Thanks to these techniques, the populace keeps on finding constructed up foremost to attacks in the up coming time.

An official at the Maharashtra Agriculture Commissioner place of work stated that practically one-3rd of the crop is still standing in Yavatmal. Preferably, the farmers should really have been in the closing stages of eradicating the crop and preparing the soil for planting summer season crops. Nonetheless, labour availability is also a trouble in the Vidarbha location.

Temperature variable

In the principal cotton-rising regions of Khandesh, Vidarbha and Marathwada areas in Maharashtra, wintertime sets by October.

The distinction amongst night time and day temperature is ten-15°C, which is most favourable for the infestation of PBW, Magar stated.

Veteran cotton scientist and Vice-President of the Countrywide Academy of Agricultural Sciences, CD Mayee, told BusinessLine that if the PBW infestation cycle has to be interrupted then the crop ought to be eradicated from the industry by December or by newest January 15. In Punjab there are less incidents of PBW attacks due to the fact farmers after next buying of cotton take out the crop and make way for other crops these as wheat.

Right after January 15, all the cotton plant stalks ought to be eradicated and ruined or despatched to biomass makers for creating briquettes.

When the temperature increases in Maharashtra after January, the solar allows in breaking the PBW in the soil, Mayee stated.

On the other hand, a cotton farmer from Yavatmal, Milind Damle stated that the farmers continue to maintain their crop proper till January and February due to the fact they can pick the cotton for the fourth or the fifth time. Residual cotton also has economic benefit, he stated.