Sucker Pest Management in Cotton: Post Sowing Steps
By yash chouhan 2025-07-21 16:52:51
For integrated management of sucking pests in cotton crop, do these things after sowing
After extensive rainfall in Gujarat, most of the farmers have enthusiastically sowed Kharif crops. To keep the crops grown after sowing safe from diseases and pests, various efforts of crop maintenance are being made by the farmers. The state government has also always been with the farmers to prevent crop damage due to diseases and pests. Continuing the same, the Agriculture Director Office-Gandhinagar has issued guidelines suggesting important steps for integrated management of sucking pests after sowing of cotton.
For management of sucking pests after sowing of cotton, do these things:
* Weed and hoe the weeds in the paddy field, especially plants and grasses like Gadar, Kanksi, Wild Bhindi, Congress Grass and Wild Jasood.
* For biological control of mealybugs and leafhoppers, release 2 to 3 days old caterpillars of predatory green moth (Chrysopa) twice at an interval of 15 days at the rate of 10,000 per hectare.
* Use 5% solution of neem seeds or non-chemical agent like Azadirachtin 1500, 3000 or 10,000 ppm at the rate of 5 litres, 2.5 litres and 750 ml per hectare respectively.
* Use yellow sticky traps to survey and control mealybugs and white flies.
* For control of red sucking pests and red mites, collect and destroy half-opened or fully opened larvae by dipping them in kerosene water or shake the plant and walk briskly in a circular motion holding a rope at both ends to make the larvae fall.
* For control of sucking pests in natural farming, spray 200 liters of Nimastra (without dilution) per acre. Non-chemical insecticides like Brahmastra, Dashparni extract should be sprayed in 200 liters of water in the amount of 6 to 8 liters per acre.
* For biological control of sucking pests, at the beginning of the crop, when the atmosphere is moist, spray microbial controllers like Verticillium laciniae or Beauveria bassiae 50 grams in 10 liters of water.
* For control of white fly infestation, as soon as the infestation is visible, spray 50 ml of Azadiractin 1500 ppm in 10 liters of water.
* Destroy the damage caused by the T mosquito by breaking it and take care that there is no shade inside the field. On detection of pest, spray 50 ml Azadirachtin 1500 ppm or 40 gm Beauveria bassiana powder in 10 litres of water.
* If the infestation of local pests is high in the cotton crop, use chemical pesticides recommended by the agricultural university related to your area as per requirement and recommendation.
* While using pesticides, follow the recommended dosage and disease/pest/crop as per the label given on the pesticide under integrated pest management.
