Cotton farmers not using adequate fertilisers: Survey

Perneet Singh

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, July 19

While the area under cotton cultivation has already witnessed a drop in the Malwa region this year, a PAU survey has revealed that a large section of farmers is not following the university recommendation when it comes to the use of fertilisers and sprays, which may affect the yield.

Talking to The Tribune, PAU’s senior farm economist Dr GS Romana said: “We recommend the use of potassium nitrate, which works as a tonic for the cotton crop during hot weather conditions, but our survey has revealed that only 14 per cent farmers are following our guidelines regarding its usage. More than 30 per cent farmers are not using fertilisers in adequate quantity. As a result, the cotton crop is not getting the required nutrients, which may well take a toll on its growth.”

The survey has also revealed that around 20 per cent farmers resorted to excessive spray last year. It has also come to the fore that 51 per cent of the farmers seek the advice of traders, dealing in sale of fertilisers/pesticides and 31 per cent of them take decisions on their own.

Merely a handful of farmers stated that they consulted the farm scientists. Besides, a whopping 72 per cent of the farmers said they purchased sprays/pesticides on credit. The survey also disclosed that 93 per cent farmers have opted for the cotton varieties recommended by the PAU.

According to Romana, the area under cotton cultivation has declined by 25 per cent as compared to last year. Most of the area has got diverted to paddy, which is not a good sign for the state where water table is depleting at an alarming rate.

The survey was conducted among 100 farmers having 1,200 acres of land in different villages of the region. Not more than four farmers from each of the village were included in the survey. “Overall, the survey shows that the cotton crop is not getting the right nutrition. On the contrary, it is underfed,” he said.

Reacting to the findings, Ashok Kapur, former president of North India Cotton Association, said the cotton productivity might be adversely hit, as the survey pointed out that farmers were not following the university’s recommendations. He, however, said though the crop was doing okay, the weather conditions would play a crucial role in the coming days.