Rajasthan: BT cotton sown in 1.8 lakh hectares in Hanumangarh, 61 thousand hectares more than last year
2025-08-18 11:37:54
Rajasthan: BT cotton sowing in 1.80 lakh hectares, 61 thousand hectares more than last year, next 60 days are important.
This time BT cotton has been sown in 1 lakh 80 thousand hectares in Hanumangarh district. This figure of sowing is about 61 thousand hectares more than last year. Last year, sowing was done in only 1 lakh 19 thousand hectares. Disease outbreak in the crop after rain
Agriculture department officials and supervisors are conducting surveys to protect the crop from the outbreak of pink bollworm and other diseases. Field staff has been instructed to regularly survey the fields and submit reports. However, there is no report of damage anywhere on a large scale so far. Still, agriculture department officials are also making farmers aware. Along with increasing sowing area, if the production is good, the economy of the district will also be strengthened. Farmers will also benefit. According to department officials, once the pink bollworm goes into the pod, it becomes almost impossible to manage it. In such a situation, there is a need to remain alert for the next 60 days. Farmers have been appealed to continuously monitor the crop and work for control as per the department's recommendation if the disease outbreak is seen. According to departmental officials, currently the pest infestation is below the damage level.
BT cotton is the main crop of Kharif season. It has also been included in the cash crop. Farmers also earn the highest income from cotton. This time the area of sowing has increased. Due to increase in production according to the sowing area, the income of farmers will increase and the economy will also be strengthened. Because the economy of the district is based on agriculture. Due to low production, the business of every class is affected. In the last several years, the number of cotton ginning mills has also increased in the district. If there is adequate production, then employment opportunities will also increase in the mill. Therefore, it is a big challenge for the department to protect cotton from the caterpillar infestation. Departmental officials are organizing farmer seminars in rural areas. In these, farmers are being told about the measures from increasing caterpillar infestation to its control. The most effective method is pheromone trap. Farmers have been appealed to regularly inspect and monitor the pink caterpillar infestation with the help of pheromone traps placed in the fields and assess its economic loss level.
According to the assessment, if 5 to 8 moths are found in the trap for three consecutive days, then in this situation, efforts should be made to control it as per the recommendations of the Agriculture Department. The crop has reached the fruiting stage, so there is a need to take special care of nutrients: The Agriculture Department is appealing to the farmers to take special care of the nutrients in the crop. Currently, the cotton crop is in the fruiting stage. In this stage, the crop needs the most nutrients. Due to excessive rainfall in some areas of the district, symptoms of nutrient deficiency are visible in the crop, because due to rainwater, the nutrients in the root area of the crop leak into the lower level of the soil.
Many times, the farmers do not give the basal amount of fertilizers for the necessary nutrients at the time of sowing the crop. Due to this, the nutrients are not available to the crop. Due to this, the flower buds turn yellow and start falling. This has an adverse effect on productivity. Farmers have been appealed that in case symptoms of nutrient deficiency are seen in the cotton crop or in case the flowers turn yellow and fall, soluble fertilizers should be sprayed on the standing crop as per departmental recommendation. BT cotton is the main crop of Kharif season. These days the crop has reached the fruiting stage. Farmers are being made aware about how to control the outbreak of diseases including pink bollworm in the crop.
