After whitefly, excessive heat damages desi cotton

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 27

After losing their crop to whitefly last year, farmers who planted desi cotton this time round, following advice by agricultural experts, are finding themselves at the receiving end, yet again. Excessive heat has burnt desi cotton plants in Sirsa, Fatehabad and other districts.

Of the total 6.20 lakh hectares fixed by the state agriculture department, the crop has been sown on 3.47 lakh hectare in the state.

After Bt cotton was damaged due to whitefly last year, the Agriculture Department and Sirsa-based Central Institute of Cotton Research (CICR) had suggested farmers to plant more of Desi cotton considering it free from pest.

According to estimates of the Agriculture Department, Desi cotton has already been sown on around 60,000 hectares compared to 15,000 hectares last year.

“Taking advice by agriculture experts, I had sown desi cotton on 5 acres this time. But, the young plants have burnt away within a month of sowing,” said Satnam, a farmer from Dariyapur village in Fatehabad district.

Satnam, eventually thought it prudent to sow the Bt variety, but in the process had to cough out more money.

“Upon germination, desi cotton plant remains closer to the ground as its stem elongation process is slower than the Bt cotton variety. Thus, causing the leaves of the plant to burn due to heat from the soil and direct heat of the sun,” said Gurjeet Singh Mann, a progressive farmer from Kirpal Patti village of Sirsa district.

“There has been no improvement in desi cotton variety. It has all the drawbacks that failed us two decades ago. Further, it is prone to caterpillar attacks. It is like switching back to filament lamp in an era of LED lights,” Mann added.

Dr Dilip Monga, principal scientist and in charge of Central Institute for Cotton Research, admitted they had received complaints of desi cotton plant burning from some areas of the state. He claimed several improvements had been made in the desi cotton varieties to increase their staple length.

He said the Centre wanted 25 per cent of the area meant for cotton plantation under desi cotton adding it was in good in surgical industry and some other fields due to its absorbent qualities.