An Interstate Consultative and Monitoring Committee meeting on cotton was convened at Kheti Bhawan, Bathinda, under the chairmanship of Dr. Satbir Singh Gosal, Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana.
The meeting saw the participation of prominent figures in agriculture, including Dr. R.K. Raheja, Cane Commissioner, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Punjab; Dr. Makhan Singh Bhullar, Director of Extension Education, PAU; Dr. Ajmer Singh Dhatt, Director of Research, PAU; and Dr. Manmeet Kaur Bhullar, Head, Department of Entomology at PAU. Additionally, scientists from PAU Regional Research Stations in Bathinda, Faridkot, and Abohar; Central Institute of Cotton Research Institute, Sirsa; Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar; FASC and KVK units in Bathinda, Mansa, Sri Muktsar Sahib, and Abohar; as well as Chief Agricultural Officers (CAOs) from various districts, attended the meeting.
Highlighting the declining cotton acreage in Punjab and across South and Central India, Dr. S. S. Gosal raised concerns over decreased productivity and minimum support prices. He stressed the importance of regular monitoring and timely use of recommended insecticides for managing whitefly and pink bollworm infestations.
In his welcome address, Dr. Raheja expressed concern over the reduced area under cotton cultivation. He emphasized the need for CAOs to remain vigilant and encourage farmers to spray for whitefly management. The CAOs from the Cotton Belt then presented updates on insect pests, training camps, surveillance reports, and canal water availability in their districts.
A detailed status report on whitefly, pink bollworm, and leaf curl disease in the Bathinda, Mansa, Fazilka, and Faridkot districts, was presented by Dr. Vijay Kumar, Principal Entomologist, PAU. He urged the farmers, especially in Abohar, to be vigilant against whitefly attacks and outlined a management strategy. He also reported no pink bollworm incidence in Mansa and Bathinda.
Dr. Rishi Kumar, Head of CICR, Sirsa, discussed the favorable weather conditions for pest multiplication and the higher pink bollworm infestation in water-stressed cotton fields. He shared management strategies for addressing this issue. Dr. Anil Jakhar from HAU, Hisar, reported a 4% pink bollworm infestation rate in Haryana, particularly in fields with last year’s cotton sticks, and noted a low incidence of whitefly.
Dr. Ajmer Singh Dhatt emphasized cotton’s role in crop diversification and the necessity of managing pink bollworm efficiently. Dr. M.S. Bhullar highlighted the importance of nutrient management and regular whitefly monitoring, advocating for more farmer training camps.
Read more: https://www.pau.edu/index.php?_act=manageEvent&DO=viewEventDetail&dataE=datae&intID=9330
