Lodhran - District officer agriculture Irfan Cheema has urged growers to choose Bt cotton varieties for cotton sowing in fields vacated by wheat while keeping in view past experiences, area and information at the local level.
Addressing a seminar in the Gogran area of Lodhran, he said that growers could choose a variety from Sitara-008, Ali Akbar-802, IR-3701, IR-1524, Hybrid-2085, CIM-473, Nayab-846 and Al-Simi 151 subject to their suitability with local conditions.
He said that Bt cotton seed certified by Punjab Seed Corporation (PSC) should be selected. Deputy district officer Mohammad Zafar Malik said that growers should also apply modern technology to get better results.
He said that crops that can be used as green fertilizers should be buried in wet fields 30 days before sowing and water be applied after ten days for enhanced fertility. Agriculture officer Rana Iqbal said that non-Bt varieties should also be sown so that pests who attack the crop should not develop resistance against Bt varieties. He suggested suitable spray application in case of a pest attack on non-Bt varieties.
Field assistant Allah Ditta Malik and host grower Malik Arshad also shared their experiences with growers. Hafiz Mohammad Azam, a noted grower of the area, who attended the seminar as a special guest, thanked the experts for providing invaluable information to growers.
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