What are the best measures suggested by you to tackle the pink bollworm threat?
Some of the major challenges for the Bt Cotton industry in India include the following high labour cost for seed production and crop operations
of expression of Bt insecticides in some hybrids in Central India in rain fed situation is favourable for attack because resistance development is favored by such low level. This is exactly what has happened with pyrethroid resistance in the past where the bollworms chew small quantities of the poison and then developed mutated strains of bollworms. It is therefore essential to manage the PBW in rainfed cottons through integrated pest management approach in Bt cotton.
What are the best measures suggested by you to tackle the pink bollworm threat?
The first strategy is to have refugia compulsory at least 5 percent susceptible cotton population in Bt cotton fields. Monitoring the supply of only short duration Bt cotton hybrids in rainfed. The crop should be strictly monitored after 90 days of sowing and then check the ETL level, one live larva in 10 green bolls or 8 moths per night for three consecutive nights has to be monitored using pheromone traps.
If this condition prevails, immediately the safest insecticide Quinalphos 25 EC or Profenophos 50 EC at 2 ml per litre water or Thiodicarb75WP at 20 gm should be sprayed. Even when there is ETL observed then undertake any Pyrethroid spray but only after 120 DAS. Cotton hybrids should be strictly sown on the onset of monsoon when there is 80-100 mm rainfall. Bt cotton should be sown on ridges using furrow for water drain when excess or conservation when limited rain. The plant-plant and row-row distance should be 90x30 cm.
22 BioVoiceNews | October 2017