Signs of increasing white fly infestation on cotton crop in Punjab

24-Jul-2024 11:13 AM

Bhatinda. After a long gap of about nine years, now once again there are signs of rapid spread of white fly infestation on cotton crop in Punjab, while the threat of pink bollworm insect is already present.

Due to the terror of insects and diseases, the area of ​​cotton production in Punjab has already come down to a very low level. Cotton is cultivated in Malwa division of Punjab.

There, symptoms of white fly attack on the crop have started appearing in districts like Mansa, Bathinda and Fazilka.

The team of the state agriculture department has visited various villages of these districts and meetings have also been held with local officials. Field officials have been asked to keep a close watch on the situation.

The team of experts has been instructed to directly visit the farmers' fields to see the condition of the crop and recommend spraying of insecticides. 

Along with this, through the loudspeaker installed in the Gurudwara, farmers in the villages are being requested to keep spraying insecticides on the crop as per the advice of the expert team.

According to experts, due to hot and humid weather, the infestation of insects and diseases is increasing on the cotton crop.

Contrary to the advice of the Agriculture Department, many farmers in this area have cultivated moong this time.

This has also increased the infestation of insects. This time the cotton production area in Punjab has decreased to 97 thousand hectares, which is the lowest level in the last several years.

There, farmers are now giving priority to the cultivation of crops like paddy, pulses and maize, leaving the sowing of cotton.