Prevent and Control Sucking Pests and White Fly in Cotton

India is one of the world’s second-largest cotton producers after China. The country has been producing cotton for textiles for over so many years.

Today, 5.8 million farmers make a living from the growing cotton fields, with ten million people working in the cotton industry.

Climate change, water scarcity, and poor soil quality make cotton growing a major challenge for Indian farmers. Cotton in India also experiences pest pressures because of climate change.

While pink bollworm infestations went down by 70% in 2018-19 compared to the previous season, pressure from other common pests remained similar to previous years.

With increased pesticide resistance in some regions, there is a knock-on effect on yields in some regions. Farmers do everything they can to protect their crops but lack knowledge of best practices in managing pests.

They tend to use pesticides regularly or opt for harmful chemicals. This puts their health at risk and damages the environment.

Some of the major cotton-sucking pests that affect cotton yield are:

• Cotton Aphids
• Cotton Thrips
• Cotton Leafhoppers
• WhiteFly

Let’s understand their characteristics and how they affect cotton crops.

Cotton Aphids

Cotton aphids are mainly seen on the underside of leaves and shoots of the younger cotton plant. The cotton aphid can be winged or wingless. Its color varies from pale yellow to black-green.

• How Does It Affect the Cotton Crop?

It affects the crop by leaving behind white skin remnants. It extracts the nutrients of the plant, thereby affecting plant growth.

Cotton Thrips

Thrips are also known as early-season cotton pests. They have pierce-sucking mouths and are straw-colored insects.

• How Does It Affect the Cotton Crop?

They directly attack the leaf and leaf buds and cause silvering on the lower leaf surface. Heavy infestation of cotton thrips can delay fruiting and maturity.

Cotton Leafhoppers

Leafhoppers have wings held rooflike over the abdomen. They are pale green to yellowish green in color with slender legs. They suck sap from the cotton plant.

• How Does It Affect the Cotton Plant?

Leafhoppers infested causes discoloration and leaf curl; the outer zone of the leaf turns yellow to reddish and white later on. Heavy leafhopper infestation may retard plant growth and cause severe yield losses.

WhiteFly

Whiteflies, also known as snow flies, are tiny sap-sucking insects found on the underside of the leaves. They resemble tiny moths and are covered in powdery white wax.

• How Do They Damage the Cotton Plants?

They suck the juice or produce a sticky substance known as honeydew, on which sooty mold develops. This affects the plant’s photosynthetic activities and indirectly leads to poor quality and low yields.

After understanding the characteristics of cotton-sucking pests and their effects on the cotton crop, let us learn different ways to eliminate them.

One of the most common approaches farmers use is pesticides. Farmers use pesticides to protect cotton crops from getting damaged. However, this practice has many disadvantages.

To understand the pros and cons better, it is essential to know how pesticides affect crops and farmers and how to protect them from pests.

Pesticides and Crop Protection

With many pests and weeds attracted to cotton, it is essential to protect the crop from getting damaged. Pesticides are the main form of crop protection that is consumed worldwide.

While they control pests and safeguard yields, we must also consider the negative consequences that are present.

Around 44% of farmers are poisoned by pesticides every year. They cause serious health issues like cancer and neurological diseases. It also has long-lasting impacts on the environment.

The chemicals present in the pesticides can pollute water sources and even contaminate food supplies.

Looking at the side effects of pesticides, how can farmers protect their crops from unwanted pests and weeds?

Cotton farmers can take a holistic approach to crop protection by looking for sustainable options that are better for farm workers, the farming community, and the environment.

With our microbiome technology that harnesses the power of nature, we at Organica Biotech have developed a technology that improves nutrient uptake in cotton and resistance to pests and diseases.

Our plant biostimulant products contain a unique consortium of plant growth-promoting microorganisms that help farmers take that next step towards sustainable farming by reducing the need for chemical inputs in the soil and crops.

Our technology is designed to increase productivity ecologically and sustainably, which protects our precious natural resources for future generations.

Our range of plant biostimulant products contains natural biostimulants that can be used in organic and non-organic farming practices and act as soil conditioners.

With this innovation, we helped many farmers across the country overcome crop damage and increase their yield.

Are you using chemical pesticides as a preventive measure to ensure disease-free cotton fields? Reach out to our experts today at ex*****@or*************.com.