IPM Technology An Opportunity To Shift To Bio-control Regime For Profitable Cotton: Secretary Agriculture

MULTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Mar, 2024) Secretary agriculture South Punjab Saqib Ali Ateel said on Friday that the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) technology was a golden opportunity for cotton farmers to adapt to its principles and apply this cost-effective strategy in cotton fields for higher production with efficient pest management to maximize profits.

He expressed these views in a meeting with Vice Chancellor Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture (MNSUA) Prof. Dr. Ishtiaq Ahmad Rajwana here Friday, a day after the third survey report of IPM for the year 2023 was unveiled carrying findings from faculty members of seven south Punjab universities.

VC MNSUA Dr. Ishtiaq Rajwana presented the book detailing report of third IPM survey to the secretary. The report has made it clear that cotton farmers would have to shift to IPM technology encompassing an efficient and wise approach to deal with enemy pests if they want to enhance cotton profitability, Mr. Ateel said.

A committee comprising faculty members from four universities was formed including Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture Multan, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Islamia University Bahawalpur and Ghazi University Dera Ghazi Khan to study impact of IPM technology on cotton crop from the year 2021 to 2023.

Moreover, faculty members from Khawaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology Rahim Yar Khan, University of Sargodha and University of Layyah also finalized their own comprehensive report on the basis of survey of IPM demonstration plots and non-IPM fields.

According to their findings, average per acre production of cotton from IPM plots was 34.22 Maunds in 2021, 31.41 Maunds per acre in 2022 and 38.89 Maunds per acre in 2023.

The report showed the production increased with the flawless implementation of IPM model.

Saqib Ali Ateel said cotton was a cash crop for many counties including Pakistan with over 250 million people earning their livelihood in the world of cotton.

South Punjab agriculture department had introduced a revolutionary IPM program in 2021 and developed demonstration plots in south Punjab after climate change had started impacting cotton production negatively due to unexpected rains that triggered higher pest infestation and extreme temperatures.

In 2023, 292 IPM demonstration plots were developed across Punjab, mainly in six divisions including Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad, Multan, Sargodha and Sahiwal.

Over 80 per cent of farmers who joined the program avoided pesticides application during first 60 days of crop. However, the percentage of farmers engaged with non-IPM plots who followed the guideline was only 10-14 percent particularly in Faisalabad and Sahiwal which exposed their cotton fields to Jassid attack while all the dangerous pests like white fly, Aphid and Thrips against whom the pesticides were sprayed were present in almost all the divisions.

Saqib said, time has come farmers should shun the practice of blind application of chemical pesticides on cotton in a bid to control pests but in turn all they got was the enemy pest living and that too with resistance against the pesticides. This wastage of resources should stop. Not only it kills crop friendly pests but also develop resistance among enemy pests against the pesticides.

Under IPM model, farmers in Sahiwal, Faisalabad and Sargodha reduced pesticides application by 17 to 41 per cent, reducing their cost by 30 to 60 percent compared to non-IPM farmers.

Department was taking steps to ensure easy availability of yellow sticky cards, pheromone traps, PB Ropes, biopesticides and biocards for large scale enforcement of IPM technology across the Punjab cotton landscape and efforts were also underway to build and enhance capacity of farmers through training and guidance on implementing IPM model, Saqib said.