Cotton growers advised to take timely steps against pests

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Growers of cotton-belt should take timely steps against the attack of pests to protect their crops during dry and humid weather spell, the met office advised here on Monday.

In a fresh growers-advisory released for next 10 days, the office urged the cotton farmers to shield their crops with timely protective measures against the possible attacks of melay Bug, jassid, thrips and whitefly in dry and humid monsoon season. It said farmers should also take in time necessary measures to protect their crops, livestock and other property during the monsoon season.

It forecast hot and humid weather in southern half part of the country and urged the farmers to irrigate their crops as per need. Farmers of rain-fed areas, who depend on obtaining water through tube wells for irrigating their crops, should also schedule the irrigation keeping in view the expected dry and humid weather in the coming days.

Weather in Punjab is expected to remain mainly hot and humid during the next 10 days, the office forecast, saying that however isolated to scattered thundershower may occur in upper and central agricultural plains of the province from 25 to 26 July.

It said mainly hot and humid weather is expected in Khyber Pakhunkhwa in the next 10 days. However isolated to scattered thundershower is expected in the agricultural plains of the province from 25 to 26 July.

In Sindh, it said weather is likely to remain mainly hot and humid during the next 10 days. However light to moderate rain/dust thunderstorm is expected in southeastern parts of the province in the next five days. Mainly dry weather is expected in Balochistan during the next 10 days, the office predicted, adding that intermittent rain/dust-thunderstorm is expected at isolated places of the province from 25th July onwards.

Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir are likely to undergo mainly dry weather during the next 10 days, the office said, adding that thundershower with few heavy showers is expected at isolated to scattered places of Kashmir and rainfall is expected at isolated places of Gilgit Baltistan in the next 10 days.