Farmers urged to complete cotton sowing by May 15

MULTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Apr, 2026) Punjab Agriculture Department on Monday advised farmers to complete cotton sowing preferably by May 15 to ensure better yield.

According to the department’s spokesperson,growers should use approved BT cotton varieties and allocate at least 10 percent of their area to non-BT varieties to prevent pest resistance.

Farmers have also been urged to purchase certified, tagged seed from reliable dealers.

The spokesperson said that seed germination must exceed 75 percent.

In such cases,farmers should use 6 kg of delinted seed or 8 kg of fuzzy seed per acre.

Seed treatment with suitable pesticides before sowing was essential to protect the crop,particularly from white fly and other sucking pests during the initial growth stage.

Cotton cultivation on ridges has been recommended.

In water-scarce areas, farmers should adopt manual sowing after ridge preparation,while in irrigated zones,drilling was advised.Row spacing should be maintained at 2.5 feet.

For crops sown by April 30,plant population should be around 17,500 plants per acre,though adjustments can be made depending on variety and planting method.

Farmers have been advised to stay in contact with local agriculture officials for guidance on irrigation,fertilizer use and pest management to improve per-acre yield.