LAHORE: The Farmers’ Technical Advisory Committee (FAC) expressing satisfaction on overall condition of the cotton crop till date has advised those who have yet not sown their fields to complete cotton sowing as early as possible.
The meeting also advised the farmers to delay the first spray as much as possible and only spray when the crop is under stress. The advice was issued in the fifth meeting of the Farmers Technical Advisory Committee (FAC) held at the Central Cotton Research Institute, Multan, under the chairpersonship of Director Ms. Sabahat Hussain. Comprehensive recommendations for the next fifteen days were presented to farmers regarding the successful cultivation and management of early and seasonal cotton.
The meeting was informed that farmers whose crop is two months or older and has started forming squares (flower buds) should begin the application of fertilizers. In such crops, one bag of urea per acre should be applied. For weed control, an integrated weed management approach should be adopted. Farmers should irrigate the crop at intervals of 7 to 10 days.
In case of early sowing of triple gene cotton varieties, the recommended glyphosate should be used. Reports of armyworm attack in patches have been received in some areas. If cotton leaves appear perforated, farmers should spray 40 ml of Levofuran in 20 liters of water on affected plants and the surrounding area.
For land preparation, the use of a laser land leveller is recommended. In case of hard soil, the use of a chisel plough is beneficial so that roots can penetrate deeper. Before sowing cotton, Pendimethalin at the rate of 1200 ml per acre should be applied, or alternatively, S-metolachlor at 800 ml per acre should be applied within 24 hours after sowing.
Seeds should always be obtained from authentic institutions and only approved varieties should be cultivated. Plant-to-plant distance should be maintained at 9 inches. Cotton cultivation should always be carried out considering prevailing weather conditions. Farmers should avoid sowing cotton in fields where okra or egg-plant crops are already present.
The meeting was attended by heads of various departments including Sajid Mahmood, Dr. Muhammad Akbar, Dr. Muhammad Ahmed, Dr. Rabia Saeed, Muhammad Azam, and Scientific Officers Junaid Ahmad Daha and Hafiz Muhammad Imran.
The next (sixth) meeting of the Farmers Advisory Committee will be held on May 16 at the institute.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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