Trends in Insecticide Application Strategies for Cotton Pest Management

Abstract

Cotton is a major cash crop in Pakistan, especially within the southern portion of Punjab, and forms the most import source of livelihood for farming based societies. The current study was planned to investigate the adoption of insecticides and pesticides to control the insect-pest.  The study was conducted in District Muzaffargah. The district was structured into six Producer Units (PUs). Each PU consisted of 100 Learning Groups (LGs) with the lead farmers across all LGs belonging to one group. Four LGs were randomly selected from each PU and the same way five farmers were taken out of each LG, making a total sample of 24 LGs and 120 respondents. The study indicates that insect pest management in cotton is among the most important factors for continuing yield of cotton crop in Pakistan. Chemical insecticides are used extensively by the farmers for pest control, but over time there has been a gradual coming up of resistance in key pests like whitefly, jassid, thrips, mealybug, dusky cotton bug and bollworms which have resulted in loss of efficacy. Newer insecticide chemistries (e.g., neonicotinoids, spinosyns, ketoenols, and diamides) have delivered temporary control but resistance has developed because of frequent application and limited notion history. The results highlight the necessity of integrated pest management (IPM) including chemical, biological and cultural controls. Increasing farmer training on pest identification, judicious use of pesticides and resistance management and ongoing monitoring of local resistance are needed for sustainable cotton production and preventing negative environmental impact in Pakistan.

Keywords: Cotton Farmers, Muzaffargarh, Learning Groups, Producer Units, Agricultural Extension, Pakistan.

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17338331