Cotton seeds must be treated with pesticides before sowing

Punjab Agriculture Department has advised farmers to treat cotton seeds with pesticides before sowing

LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Apr, 2026) Punjab Agriculture Department has advised farmers to treat cotton seeds with pesticides before sowing.

A spokesperson for the department said on Friday that growers must consult local agricultural experts from the Agriculture Extension or Pest Warning departments in this regard. He said farmers are advised to use healthy seeds of cotton varieties approved by the Punjab Agriculture Department.

For early-sown cotton, the application of glyphosate spray must be completed within 25 days of sowing, he added. He further said that high temperatures and excessive use of glyphosate could cause flower shedding. He stated that farmers should conduct pest scouting of early crops twice a week.

In addition, regular pest scouting should also be carried out on alternate host crops such as eggplant, cucumber, pumpkin, bottle gourd, tomato, chili, okra, and mung bean to ensure control of sap-sucking insects.

To protect cotton crops from whitefly attacks, farmers should install 15 to 20 yellow sticky cards per acre and reapply adhesive glue every 15 days, he said.

He added that spraying against whitefly should be done in consultation with local agricultural experts.

He said, “If a thrips attack is observed, farmers should irrigate small plants or spray water.” He stated that after rainfall, there is a higher risk of jassid (leafhopper) infestation in cotton.

Farmers are also advised to locate and destroy egg masses of armyworm on nearby crops such as maize and berseem grown close to cotton fields.