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FAISALABAD, Feb 20 (APP):Ayub Agricultural Research Institute’s (AARI) newly appointed Director General (DG) Malik Allah Bukhsh has inaugurated early (Ageti) cotton cultivation here on Tuesday and said that early cultivation would play a pivotal role in obtaining bumper production.
During inaugural ceremony at Cotton Research Station Faisalabad, he said that cotton is a precious crop of Pakistan which not only provide raw material to the local textile industry but also help in stabling national economy by fetching precious foreign exchange up to Rs.30 billion.
He said that Agriculture department has activated its entire field staff to persuade and guide the farmers for ensuring early cotton cultivation over maximum space of their lands because early cultivated crops gives maximum production as chances of pest and disease attack on early cultivation are less than the late sowing.
Chief Scientist Cotton Research Institute Multan Dr Muhammad Sarwar said that approved cotton varieties including CKC-5, CKC-1, Ghauri-2, CKC-6 and ICS-386 are best for early cultivation from mid-February to end of March in different parts of the Punjab whereas farmers of Faisalabad, Multan, Lodhran, Bahawalpur, Vehari, Khanewal, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawal Nagar, Rajanpur, Muzaffar Garh, Layyah and Sahiwal should prefer to CKC-3 and Hataf-3 for early cultivation up to 31st March.
The approved varieties have strong resistance against Ghulabi Sundi (pink bollworm) and different weeds, he added.
Chaudhry Abdul Hameed Director Agriculture Extension Faisalabad Division, Naveed Ismat Kahlon Director Agriculture Information Punjab, Chaudhry Khalid Mehmood Deputy Director Agriculture Extension Faisalabad, Dr. Muhammad Saeed Principal Scientist, Dr. Muhammad Asif, Dr. Muhammad Jahanzeb, Amjad Farooq Senior Scientists Cotton Department AARI Faisalabad, Dr. Asif Ali, Muhammad Ishaq Shahzad Lashari and Dr. Qavi Irshad Deputy Director Agri Information Faisalabad and others were also present on the occasion.