Agriculture dept pushes early cotton cultivation

The Punjab agriculture department has advised the farmers to accelerate early cotton cultivation in suitable districts, including Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan, to complete sowing by March 31 to ensure higher productivity and better crop management.

According to a department spokesman, these districts have favourable climatic and soil conditions that support strong plant growth, improved yield, and better resistance against pests and environmental stress.

Farmers were advised to cultivate approved triple-gene cotton varieties, including CKC-1, CKC-3, Hatif-3, ICS-386, CKC-6, and CEMB-AAS-3, to achieve optimal results and higher pest resistance.

The spokesman stressed the importance of using certified seed approved by the Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department, warning that uncertified seed could negatively affect crop growth and yield.

He emphasised that early sowing of cotton not only strengthens the crop during its initial growth stages but also enables plants to mature before the peak season of pest attacks particularly the pink bollworm, which has caused significant damage to cotton crops in recent years.

He further advised the farmers to maintain proper plant spacing to ensure healthy crop development.

For early cotton cultivation, the recommended distance between rows should be 2.5 feet while the spacing between plants should be maintained between 1.5 and two feet to allow adequate sunlight, airflow and nutrient availability for each plant, he added.

He also offered guidance about seed quantity requirements based on germination rates and said that for seed with more than 75 per cent germination, the growers should use approximately four to five kilogrammes of delinted seed per acre while seed with around 60 per cent germination may require five to six kilogrammes per acre to achieve the desired plant population.

He advised that seeds should be properly treated with recommended pesticides before sowing in consultation with local agricultural experts to protect young plants from early-stage pests and diseases.

He encouraged the farmers to remain in contact with extension services and local field staff of the agriculture department for guidance during the sowing and crop management stages.