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

With the cotton period in Maharashtra is about to close, this calendar year also noticed the continual assaults of Pink Boll Worms (PBW) on the crop.

In order to crack the existence cycle of PBW, the neighborhood Krishi Vigyan Kendras and Agriculture Universities have suggested farmers to terminate their cotton crop in Maharashtra by December.

Even so, the crops are even now in the fields in numerous cotton-rising districts. In accordance to the Point out Sowing Report on Oct ten for kharif period, the spot beneath the crop had attained forty two.83 lakh hectares, when the regular is forty one.83 lakh hectares. In major districts these kinds of as Yavatmal, cotton was planted on four.65 lakh hectares and 5.30 lakh hectares in Jalgaon.

Agriculture Scientist and Entomologist at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Yavatmal, Pramod Magar stated that even with the advisories farmers carry on to hold their cotton crop till January or February, which assists the PBW sustain the existence cycle till subsequent sowing period (May-close or early June).

Breaking the cycle

The insect populace retains rising top to assaults in the subsequent period. As a result terminating the crop is important to close assaults of PBW. A gap needs to be produced in the feeding cycle of the pests, he stated.

Magar stated that in a PBW-infested plant, some cotton bowls continue being partly destroyed with some cotton remaining in the bowls, as a result, the farmers sustain these kinds of diseased vegetation in the fields with a need to get some residual cotton. Thanks to these kinds of techniques, the populace retains on getting designed up top to assaults in the subsequent period.

An formal at the Maharashtra Agriculture Commissioner workplace stated that virtually a person-third of the crop is even now standing in Yavatmal. Preferably, the farmers should really have been in the ultimate levels of removing the crop and preparing the soil for planting summer months crops. Even so, labour availability is also a challenge in the Vidarbha area.

Temperature aspect

In the most important cotton-rising locations of Khandesh, Vidarbha and Marathwada regions in Maharashtra, winter sets by Oct.

The variance in between night 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 Nationwide Academy of Agricultural Sciences, CD Mayee, explained to BusinessLine that if the PBW infestation cycle has to be interrupted then the crop need to be eradicated from the industry by December or by most up-to-date January fifteen. In Punjab there are less incidents of PBW assaults because farmers just after second buying of cotton get rid of the crop and make way for other crops these kinds of as wheat.

Immediately after January fifteen, all the cotton plant stalks need to be eradicated and destroyed or despatched to biomass makers for producing briquettes.

When the temperature will increase in Maharashtra just after January, the sunshine assists in breaking the PBW in the soil, Mayee stated.

On the other hand, a cotton farmer from Yavatmal, Milind Damle stated that the farmers carry on to maintain their crop ideal till January and February because they can select the cotton for the fourth or the fifth time. Residual cotton also has financial benefit, he stated.