In a strategic meeting of cotton growers from Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan convened on Sunday in village Sangaria in Hanumangarh district in Rajasthan, the farmers were advised to adopt biological control of leaf curl virus as the concerned pests have already become resistant to chemical insecticides and pesticides. A handbook on biological control of pests was also released to the farmers. The farmers were explained through display of charts and live material of CLCV, heliothis and biological control agents like trichogramma and NPV.

The meeting was addressed by the union minister for agriculture Sompal, director-general of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) RS Paroda, vice-chancellors of the concerned state agricultural universities, state agricultureministers, state directors of agriculture and agriculture scientists. The farmers meet was hosted by Jan Jagriti Sanghathan and Khet Khalian Morcha, Sangria.

Speaking on the occasion the director-general, ICAR, RS Paroda stated that ICAR scientists have devised new methods biological control of leaf curl virus on cotton crop. He said experiences has shown that total annihilation of pests was not possible anywhere in the world. Instead, the present findings go to show that friendly insects that destroy these pests could be profitably chartered for achieving effective pest management. This is possible only if we reduce the use of chemical insecticides at least in the stage of the crop when we allow the build up of natural enemies that would be ready to combat with the increase in pest numbers.

Paroda said this technique will not only save the crop from the havoc of pests but will also reduce the cost of production by bringing down the level of insecticides and pesticides use.

The ICAR has recentlyapproved demonstration trials in Punjab, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu to be carried out by CICR.The union agriculture minister Sompal said for boosting cotton production and productivity, the centrally sponsored Intensive Cotton Development Programme is in operation in since 1971-72. It is being presently implemented in 43 districts including Bhatinda, Faridkot and Sangrur in Punjab, Hisar and Sirsa in Haryana and Sriganganagar in Rajasthan.

The scheme extends financial assistance for a wide spectrum of components including seed production, distribution of certified seeds, demonstration of production technologies, supply of plant protection chemicals and agricultural implements, training and visits of farmers.

He said the government has decided to implement the technology mission on cotton from the current year. The objective of the mission would be to augment the productivity through R&D efforts, offer technical assistance to farmers, evolving an efficient delivery system forinputs, create marketing arrangements and upgradation of ginning and processing technology. It would also focus on maximising the extraction of oil from cotton seeds. Four mini-missions are also being proposed for accomplishing these objectives.Sompal said he is aware of the urgency of liquidity in cash credit flow in villages during the cropping season. The interest rates on loans from different public financing agencies such as Nabard and cooperative banks will be streamlined and unified so that the farmers will be eligible for such loans at lower interest rates.

In the previous year, leaf curl virus devastated the cotton crops in several parts of the country. Also the very inclement weather conditions aggravated the attack of American Sundi on cotton. The Punjab government has estimated that about Rs 172 crore worth of cotton crop were damaged in 1997-98 in 530394 hectre area in districts of Ferozpur, Muktsar, Bhatinda, Hansa and Faridkot. The loss incurred was more than 50 per cent and average yield ofcotton was reduced by 54 54 per cent in Punjab.

The wet weather in the state helped the survival of large population of heliothis during May-June 1997. It had a direct impact on increased physiological shedding of fruiting bodies and outbreak of a Jassid white fly and American Boli worm. Farmers could not control pests in time due to heavy intermittent rainfall.

A study team of ICAR has estimated that in 1997-98 in Andhra Pradesh cotton crop was severely affected by a combination of weather factors and heavy pest outbreak. The loss was particularly in the northern belt especially in the districts of Warangal, Khammam and Karimnagar.

The extent of crop loss was estimated in the rage of 25 to 50 per cent with an average of about 30 per cent overall loss in these three affected districts. The cotton crop was severely attacked by spodoptera litura and heliothis.