‘Cotton must be picked before January to end PBW infestation’
With the cotton year in Maharashtra is about to end, this year also noticed the continuous attacks of Pink Boll Worms (PBW) on the crop.
In get to split the existence cycle of PBW, the community Krishi Vigyan Kendras and Agriculture Universities have suggested farmers to terminate their cotton crop in Maharashtra by December.
Nonetheless, the crops are continue to in the fields in a number of cotton-growing districts. In accordance to the State Sowing Report on Oct 10 for kharif year, the location below the crop experienced attained forty two.eighty three lakh hectares, although the typical is forty one.eighty three lakh hectares. In big districts these as Yavatmal, cotton was planted on 4.65 lakh hectares and 5.30 lakh hectares in Jalgaon.
Agriculture Scientist and Entomologist at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Yavatmal, Pramod Magar explained that despite the advisories farmers proceed to continue to keep their cotton crop until January or February, which allows the PBW manage the existence cycle until subsequent sowing year (May-end or early June).
Breaking the cycle
The insect inhabitants keeps escalating foremost to attacks in the subsequent year. Hence terminating the crop is vital to end attacks of PBW. A hole requires to be made in the feeding cycle of the pests, he explained.
Magar explained that in a PBW-infested plant, some cotton bowls remain partially destroyed with some cotton left in the bowls, hence, the farmers manage these diseased crops in the fields with a need to get some residual cotton. Due to these practices, the inhabitants keeps on acquiring created up foremost to attacks in the subsequent year.
An formal at the Maharashtra Agriculture Commissioner place of work explained that practically a single-third of the crop is continue to standing in Yavatmal. Preferably, the farmers really should have been in the ultimate stages of eliminating the crop and getting ready the soil for planting summer months crops. Nonetheless, labour availability is also a challenge in the Vidarbha area.
Temperature aspect
In the principal cotton-growing areas of Khandesh, Vidarbha and Marathwada areas in Maharashtra, winter sets by Oct.
The big difference between night time and working day temperature is 10-15°C, which is most favourable for the infestation of PBW, Magar explained.
Veteran cotton scientist and Vice-President of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, CD Mayee, instructed BusinessLine that if the PBW infestation cycle has to be interrupted then the crop have to be taken out from the field by December or by latest January 15. In Punjab there are fewer incidents of PBW attacks for the reason that farmers right after second picking of cotton take away the crop and make way for other crops these as wheat.
Soon after January 15, all the cotton plant stalks have to be taken out and destroyed or despatched to biomass makers for building briquettes.
When the temperature improves in Maharashtra right after January, the sunshine allows in breaking the PBW in the soil, Mayee explained.
On the other hand, a cotton farmer from Yavatmal, Milind Damle explained that the farmers proceed to keep their crop right until January and February for the reason that they can decide on the cotton for the fourth or the fifth time. Residual cotton also has financial benefit, he explained.