State depts ready to irrigate cotton belt

BATHINDA : Amid the ongoing dry spell in the south Malwa region, the state agriculture department on Wednesday asked the water resource authorities for ample supply in various distributaries for irrigating the cotton fields.

Agriculture experts say next 20-25 days are important for cotton fields as hot and humid climatic conditions are conducive for the growth of whitefly, the pest that can potentially cause worst damage to cotton plants.

State agriculture director Sutantar Airi said inputs from pest surveillance teams from various districts have confirmed no infestation of whitefly in the cotton belt.

“Today, I visited fields in Mansa and Bathinda but the presence of whitefly is less than six adult pests on a leaf. This is a normal condition of pests in cotton fields. Keeping in view the scanty rainfall, the nodal officer has been instructed to ensure regular canal water supply in the fields,” said Airi, who today convened an inter-state consultative and monitoring committee on cotton.

The semi-arid region of south Malwa has not witnessed good rainfall in the last over two weeks, and the prevalent conditions are ideal for the growth of whitefly and other pests, said Bathinda’s chief agriculture officer Dr Bahadur Singh Sidhu.

“Whitefly has been spotted at various villages of Bathinda but the plants are at such an advanced stage of growth that the pest cannot cause much damage. However, farmers have been advised to inspect their fields regularly for the next three weeks and use the pesticides prescribed by the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU),” said Sidhu.

Agriculture secretary KS Pannu said the department has sufficient stock of pesticides and insecticides and the pest situation in the cotton-growing belt is satisfactory.