Everyone says ending cotton early helps with pink bollworm. When exactly should I stop and what do I do with the stalks?
When and how should I end the cotton crop to break the pink bollworm cycle (kapas)?
VVijay Patil7mo ago · 258 views
5 Answers
🌾Farmer.in Krishi TeamExpert ✓7mo ago
Ending the crop on time is one of the strongest tools against pink bollworm because a prolonged crop with late bolls keeps feeding and breeding the pest into the next season. Aim to finish picking and clear the field by around January in most cotton tracts rather than chasing a few late bolls, and avoid late irrigation that pushes fresh flowering. After final picking, uproot and shred or destroy the stalks instead of leaving them standing, since green bolls left in the field carry over larvae. Do not store unginned cotton in heaps near the field for long, as that also harbours the pest. Coordinate timing with neighbours where possible, because area wide crop ending works far better than one farm alone, and confirm local cut off dates with your KVK.
DDattatray Patil6mo ago
The hardest part for me was resisting the urge to keep the crop for a third and fourth picking of a few late bolls. Those late bolls earn very little but breed the next year's pink bollworm. Once I accepted ending the crop on time, my next season started much cleaner.
EEknath More6mo ago
One point that really worked in our area was deciding the cut off date together at the village level. When everyone ends within the same few weeks the moths have nowhere to breed, but if one farmer keeps a late crop it spoils it for all. Talk to your neighbours and fix a common end date with KVK advice.
SSanjay Patil5mo ago
A shredder shared in our group made ending the crop on time much easier, because uprooting and clearing by hand was slow and we used to delay it. Once the shredding was quick we cleared the field by the cut off date and the next season had less pink bollworm. If buying is costly, even hiring one between a few farms helps.
RRamrao Patil5mo ago
Stopping the late irrigation was the hard discipline for me, because a last watering pushes a few more flowers that tempt you to keep the crop. Those late flowers just breed the pest. I now plan the last irrigation so the crop finishes around the cut off the KVK advises and clear the stalks soon after.