Farmers advised to adopt recommended practices for timely cotton sowing

FAISALABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Apr, 2026) The agriculture experts have advised the cotton growers to adopt scientifically recommended agronomic practices to ensure timely sowing and achieve higher yield, particularly by completing cultivation before April 30.

According to a spokesperson of the Agriculture (extension) department, the farmers should maintain a plant-to-plant distance of 12 inches and a row spacing of 2.5 feet, ensuring a plant population of approximately 17,500 per acre.

He said that the growers must use only approved cotton varieties notified by the department to secure better productivity and resistance against pests and diseases.

He advised that along with approved BT cotton varieties, the farmers should allocate at least 10 percent of their cultivated area to non-BT varieties.

This strategy would help prevent the development of resistance among harmful pests particularly bollworms against BT cotton, thereby ensuring long-term sustainability of the crop, he added.

Highlighting modern cultivation techniques, he said that cotton sowing should preferably be carried out on ridges (beds) using mechanized methods.

Alternatively, the farmers can prepare ridges manually and then plant seeds accordingly. In case of drill sowing, the inter-row spacing should be maintained at 2.5 feet while ridges can be formed later when the crop reaches a height of 1.5 to 2 feet by earthing up alternate rows, he added.

He explained that ridge cultivation offers multiple advantages including effective weed control, efficient utilization of fertilizers, water conservation and protection of crops from potential damage caused by heavy rains.

The Agriculture department is committed to guide the farmers through extension services and awareness campaigns, enabling them to adopt modern agricultural practices and contribute to strengthening the country’s cotton production and overall agricultural economy, he added.