Pest Attack on Cotton Spreads from North to Southern States
25-Aug-2025 07:20 PM
Visakhapatnam. In northern India, there is already an outbreak of diseases and pests on cotton crop, while now its effect is being seen in southern India as well.
Due to abnormal weather conditions, the infestation of pests on cotton crop is increasing. In major producing areas of Andhra Pradesh, there is news of rapid spread of 'ball rot disease' on the crop.
Due to the long period of monsoon rains during the month of August and increase in the amount of moisture in the atmosphere, this kind of crisis has arisen there.
According to agricultural experts, the infestation of pests in the current season is the most severe in recent years and therefore agricultural scientists are advising farmers to adopt integrated pest management recommended by the Central Cotton Research Institute.
Ball rot pest is considered very dangerous for cotton crop because it damages it badly (cotton boll) and this reduces the yield rate considerably. Along with this, the quality of cotton and the length of the fiber are also affected by it.
A survey conducted by Jodhpur based institute- South Asia Bio Technology Centre in collaboration with Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Banavasi has revealed that there is a serious infestation of insects and diseases on cotton crop in Kurnool and other producing areas of Rayalaseema division.
The chairman of Bio Technology Centre says that for the first time in the last decade, the infestation of ball rot disease in Kurnool district has crossed the economic threshold level of 20 percent.
For a long time, this disease has been considered one of the diseases that cause the most economic damage to the cotton crop in South-Central India.
Andhra Pradesh contributes around 10 percent of the cotton produced in the country and Kurnool district is its major production centre there.
Here, there are reports of infestation of (Jassid) disease on cotton crop in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, while at the national level, a decline is being seen this time in the total sowing area of cotton.