Crop guide

Cotton

Cotton Crop Program (Pakistan) 1. Soil Preparation • Deep ploughing 2–3 times to break hard pan. • Add FYM 4–5 tons/acre. • Well-drained soil, pH 6.0–7.5. • Fine, firm seedbed for uniform sowing. ________________________________________ 2.

Both Sowing Apr–May Harvest Sep–Oct 25–40 maund per acre

Soil Preparation

Deep ploughing 2–3 times to break hard pan.
Add FYM 4–5 tons/acre.
Well-drained soil, pH 6.0–7.5.
Fine, firm seedbed for uniform sowing.

Sowing Time

Region Time
Sindh Mid-April – May
Punjab Mid-May – June
KPK/Balochistan May – June
Use Bt Hybrid Varieties: CIM, MNH, NIAB, ICI etc.

Seed Rate & Spacing

Seed Rate: 7–8 kg/acre
Row spacing: 2.5–3 ft (75–90 cm)
Plant spacing: 9–12 inches (22–30 cm)

Seed Treatment

Fungicide: Carbendazim 2g/kg seed (or Captan)
Insecticide: Imidacloprid 70% WS @ 5g/kg seed
Soil pest: Thiamethoxam or Chlorpyrifos in furrow

Irrigation Schedule

Stage Interval
Germination After sowing
Vegetative Every 10–12 days
Flowering/Boll Every 7–10 days
Maturity Reduce irrigation
Avoid stress during flowering & boll formation.

Fertilizer Dose (Per Acre)

Fertilizer Quantity Timing
DAP 1.5 bags (75 kg) At sowing
Urea 2 bags (100 kg) ½ at 30 days, ½ at flowering
SOP 1 bag (50 kg) Boll formation
Zinc Sulphate 8–10 kg At sowing (for sandy soils)
Balanced fertilizer prevents leaf reddening & boll drop.

Major Pests & Control

Pest Control Chemicals
Whitefly Imidacloprid (D-Pest™ 25% WP), Thiamethoxam (Coupraze™ 25% WG), Spirotetramat
Jassid Acetamiprid (Rancho™ 20 SP), Thiamethoxam (Coupraze™ 25% WG)
Thrips Lambda-Cyhalothrin (SuperJet™ 2.5% EC), Spinosad
Bollworms Emamectin Benzoate (Veento™ 1.9% EC), Spinetoram
Mealybugs Buprofezin. Clear and burn the weeds on the bunds and field edges it carries over on, before the crop is up — never spray a herbicide into standing cotton
Weekly scouting is essential!

Major Diseases & Control

Disease Control
Leaf Curl Virus Resistant Bt hybrids + vector control
Root Rot Trichoderma + good drainage
Leaf Spot Mancozeb or Cymoxanil spray
Bacterial Blight Avoid overhead irrigation + copper spray

Weed Management

Weed Damage Control Product
Horse Purslane (Itsit) Germinates with the first irrigation after sowing and carpets the wide rows, taking water and nitrogen from the young crop. Pendimethalin 33%EC
Crowfoot Grass (Madhana) Germinates with the cotton in the moist seedbed and its mat of roots holds the topsoil water and nitrogen away from the seedlings. Pendimethalin 33%EC
Tandla (Pigweed) Germinates with the crop and, if it is let through, grows over the cotton before it squares and shades the fruiting branches. Pendimethalin 33%EC
Purple Nutsedge (Deela) Comes up through the bed all season from tubers the plough does not reach, sharing water and nitrogen from sowing to picking. Hoeing at 20 and 40 days after sowing
Khabbal Grass (Bermuda Grass) Runs along the beds from rhizomes and holds the young crop back through the weeks it should be building its frame. Repeated interculture between the rows before the canopy closes; every runner left lying re-roots

Manual hoeing: 20 & 40 days after sowing
Pre-emergence: Pendimethalin 33%EC @ 1 L/acre