Cotton farmers must complete sowing by May 15

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Apr, 2026) Cotton farmers should complete sowing by May 15 and use approved BT cotton varieties as recommended by the Punjab Agriculture department.

A spokesman for the department said here on Monday that farmers are also advised to cultivate non-BT varieties on at least 10% of their land to prevent pests (especially bollworms) from developing resistance against BT varieties.

For cotton cultivation, use certified and labeled seed and purchase it from a reliable dealer, he added.

He said, "If the seed germination rate is above 75%, use 6 kg per acre of delinted seed or 8 kg per acre of fuzzy seed."

He further stated that before sowing, treat the seed with appropriate pesticides as this helps protect the crop for about one month from sucking pests, particularly whitefly.

The spokesman advised that cotton should preferably be sown on ridges. In areas with water scarcity, sow manually after making ridges, while in irrigated areas, use a drill for sowing, he added.

He said that for crops sown by April 30, maintain a plant population of 17,500 plants per acre. However, plant density and planting geometry may vary depending on the variety and sowing method, he said and added that cotton growers are encouraged to contact local Agriculture department staff for guidance regarding irrigation, fertilizer use and other technical matters, and to follow official recommendations to increase cotton yield per acre.