Agri field staff engaged in on-field monitoring of cotton crop

MULTAN: The agriculture field staff were engaged in on-field monitoring of cotton crop for farmers guidance under the supervision of Punjab Secretary Agriculture to ensure good cotton yield to off set the impact of last year's low production.

Agriculture spokesman said in a statement that in addition to Punjab Secretary Agriculture Muhammad Mahmood, director generals (DGs) of Agriculture Extension, Research, and Pest Warning were also monitoring the field staff.

Assistant Director Agriculture Information Naveed Asmat Kahlon said that farmers should complete trimming of their cotton crop within 20-25 days after sowing and ensure elimination of weeds inside and outside of their production fields to get good yield.

Farmers who had failed to apply phosphorous fertilizers at the time of sowing should apply one and half bags of DAP or four bags of single super phosphate or three bags of nitrophos per acre at the time of first water or the first trimming to fortify process of roots' growth.

The nitrogen fertilizers i.e urea be applied 30-35 days at the rate of one bag per acre after sowing after mixing the fertilizers in water. The mixture should be applied through fertigation or ridger when the soil is moist.

Farmers should apply water after six-day intervals. Agriculture spokesman said that weaker leaf, reddish colour on upper part of plant trunk, shorter distance between buds on plants' trunks and white flower on top of the plants are symptoms showing that plants were water stressed.

Pest scouting should be done twice a week as per the method described by the Agriculture department and spray be applied, preferably in the evening, to kill pests if pest scouting shows higher infestation.

In case of attack of pink bollworm and American bollworm on Bt cotton crops, farmers should apply spray twice with five-day gap after consulting agriculture officials.

Agriculture spokesman said that in time control of white fly and pink bollworm was necessary to get good yield. Farmers should make arrangements to drain out water in case of excessive or unexpected rains.

Farmers should apply fertilizers, water and spray while keeping in view the weather forecast, the release concluded.