Sirsa: A high incidence of whitefly attack on the cotton crop in various districts of the state has set the alarm bell ringing for farmers and agriculture experts.

Sirsa: A high incidence of whitefly attack on the cotton crop in various districts of the state has set the alarm bell ringing for farmers and agriculture experts.

A survey by the Sirsa-based Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR) for North India has revealed that the whitefly attack has crossed the economic threshold level (ETL) in various districts. Depending on the varieties, the count of six to eight whitefly adults per leaf is considered to be the threshold level.

“Our survey in Sirsa, Hisar and Fatehabad districts, besides some districts of Punjab and Rajasthan has revealed that the attack is widespread above the ETL level at several places. The count of whitefly insect has been found more than what it was during our last survey. We have alerted the Haryana Agriculture Department that it is the appropriate time to gear up and hold camps to make farmers aware about how to control the insect attack, otherwise, the situation can go out of hand, ” says Dr Dilip Monga, Head of the CICR, Sirsa.

He says looking at the weather conditions, the whitefly attack is likely to increase by July 31. The CICR has provided training to agriculture development officers (ADOs) on the gravity of the situation and measures to be taken to control it. From August 6 to 8, the institute will hold training for subject matter specialists (SMSs) of the Agriculture Department, he adds.

Ram Pratap Sihag, Joint Director (Cotton) in the Agriculture Department, admits that the department has received an alert from the CICR and has launched a campaign to educate farmers.

“We are telling farmers to use Neem spray on whitefly affected cotton instead of pesticides advised by dealers,” says Sihag.

Whitefly damages the cotton crop in two ways: directly by sucking sap from leaves, and indirectly by infecting the crop with cotton leaf curl virus because the insect acts as vector for the virus.

“A hot and humid climate, as is being witnessed in cotton producing areas of Sirsa, Hisar, Fatehabad, Jind, Bhiwani and Mahendragarh, is considered conducive for the whitefly attack,” says Monga.

He adds if it rains heavily, whitefly will be washed out, but till then farmers have to keep a constant watch and do pest management.