Cotton Crop Protection Strategies 2018

Dr V. S. Nagrare, Dr Nandini Gokte-Narkhedkar, Dr V. N. Waghmare

ICAR-Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur

(No part of this advisory may be reproduced in any form electronic or print or any other means without the
permission of the authors)

GENERAL PRACTICES

Apply Farm Yard Manure or compost 5 to 10 t/ha.

Timely sowing immediately after receiving at least 80-100 mm rainfall.
Grow short duration and sucking pest tolerant varieties or Bt hybrids:
Short duration varieties/hybrids receive adequate soil moisture during the
critical flowering and fruiting phase and are able to escape bollworm attacks
during squaring-flowering stage. In the absence of any form of protective
irrigation, avoid long duration varieties/hybrids in rain-fed conditions. Sucking
pest tolerant genotypes reduce initial sprays required for the sucking pests and
allow conservation and proliferation of natural enemies that take care of these
insect pests in the initial phase. Compact statured short duration varieties under
high density give high yields in a short period of 140-160 days.
Sowing on ridges in rain-fed regions under high density planting systems
(HDPS) should be preferred to cope up with excessive rain and drought
conditions.
Bt-cotton hybrids may be sown at 90 x 30 cm in rain-fed regions and at wider
spacing under irrigation depending upon the soil depth.
To escape from drought stress and bollworms attack grows early maturing
non-Bt varieties close to 15th June under HDPS at 60x10 cm (45x10cm for
Phule Dhanwantari). Varieties such as Suraj (CICR); NH 615 (VNMAU
Parbhani); AKH 081 (Dr PDKV Akola); Phule Dhanwantari (MPKV Rahuri)
and Anjali (LRK 516) are early maturing and amenable for HDPS.
Intercropping in non-Bt cotton varieties in HDPS sown at 90x10 cm or Bt hybrids, can be taken up with
soybean, clusterbean, cowpea or blackgram in 4:2 or 6:2 (Cotton:intercrop) which can help to enrich soil by
way of nitrogen fixation.
Sowing border rows (2-3) of pigeonpea or bajra or maize or sorghum around cotton fields found to reduce
infestation of sap sucking insects such as whitefly, mealybugs etc. These crops also serve as refuge for
Helicoverpa armigera.
For nutrients fixation Azotobacter and PSB (phosphate solubilizing bateria) @ 25 g / kg seed can be used.
Apply NPK as recommended by respective SAU of the region.
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 To enhance Cry1Ac expression and also to reduce problems of leaf reddening foliar sprays of macro and
micronutrients 1% MgSO4, 2% Urea, 0.5% Zinc Sulphate and 0.2 % Boron, twice at 15 days interval on 90
days old crop followed by 2% DAP.
Sprays and soil drenching with Carbendazim 50WP 1% in the early stage of wilt, could help to recover the
affected plants.
To cope up with squares and flowers drop spray Planofix 4.5 SL (NAA) 5 ml per 10 litres (L) of water.

DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Alternaria leaf spot Bacterial leaf blight Root rot Grey mildew

Root rot (Seedling to vegetative stage): Apply ZnSO4@24kg/ha as soil application. Seed treatment with Trichoderma
@ 4g/kg seed Or bio- agent Pseudomonas fluorescens @ 10g/ kg seed Or Thiram 75% WS 3g/kg seed Or Soil
drenching with Trichoderma @ 10kg/ha mixed with 200kg moist FYM. Spot drenching with Carbendazim 50WP
2g/L water at the base of affected plants as well as surrounding healthy plants.
Fusarium wilt (Any stage of crop growth): Seed treatment with Thiram 75% WS 2g/kg seed Or Spot drenching with
Carbendazim 50%WP 2 g/ L water.
Alternaria leaf spot (Vegetative and flowering stage): Spray Pyraclostrobin 20%WG 2g Or Metiram 55%+
Pyraclostrobin 5% WG 12g /10 L water.
Bacterial leaf blight: Seed treatment with Carboxin 75% WP 1.5 g/kg seed or Carboxin 37.5%+Thiram 37.5%DS
2.5g/kg seed. Foliar spray with streptocycline 1g + copper oxychloride 25g/ 10 L water.
Boll rot: Spray Carbendazim 50%WP 2 g/L water.
Grey Mildew: Foliar spray of Carbendazim 50 WP 20g Or Pyraclostrobin 20%WG 2g Or Metiram
55%+Pyraclostrobin 5% WG 12g per 10 L water when symptoms seen.
Para wilt or Sudden drying (New wilt): Symptoms are noticed in some fields after drought followed by rains or
irrigation. Spray cobalt chloride @10mg/litre (10ppm) on affected plants within few hours of onset of symptoms
and/or Drench plants with a mixture of Copper-Oxy-Chloride 25g and 200g Urea in 10 liter of water or Carbendazim
50WP 1g/l.

WEED MANAGEMENT

Lavi/ Motha Spurge Kabarmodi Congress grass

(Cyperus rotundus) (Euphorbia geniculata) (Tridax procumbance) (Parthenium hysterophorus)

Pre-emergence weedicides: Spary Pendimethalin 30% EC or Fluchloralin 45% EC 1 liter per acre on soil and harrow
immediately to prevent degradation. Herbicides are most effective on younger weeds.
Post emergence weedicides: Grasses: Spray Quizalofop Ethyl 5% EC or Fenoxaprop-p-ethyl 9.3% EC 25-30ml per
10 L water
Broadleaf weeds: Spray Pyrithiobac Sodium 10% EC 25-30ml/10 L water. This would provide effective and timely
control especially when intercultural operations or manual weeding becomes difficult in wet soils.

Farmers may consult the technical experts from ICAR-CICR, KVK or SAUs for further details.
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 WATER LOGGING MANAGEMENT

Provide adequate drainage channels or water ways (especially in

heavy soils) along the slope of the land for draining excess water
under heavy rainfall situations.
Open ridges and furrows with the help of a ridge plough or a bund
maker for better soil moisture conservation, preferably in areas
where rainfall is 700-900mm. Heavy rains will not affect the crop
because the furrows will drain away excess water.
Sowing cotton on ridges would conserve rainwater and the furrows
acts drainage channels whenever heavy rains are received
particularly in heavy clays.
Apply fertilizers foliar spray with 0.5 to 1.0% DAP or 19:19:19
(soluble complex of Nitrogen) at weekly intervals to assist plant
recoup from the effect of water logging if the crop becomes pale due to water logging.
If heavy rains are forecast, fertilizer application should be avoided so as to prevent losses due to surface run-off.

INSECT PEST MANAGEMENT

General recommendations

DO’s

1. Grow sucking pest resistant varieties/Bt hybrids: Growing sucking pest resistant varieties/hybrids enable to
reduce chemical insecticide sprays during the initial phase of growth (first 2-3 months) of the crop when
natural enemies (predators and parasitoids) of pests remain abundant that prevent builds up of pest population
in the cotton fields. Chemical insecticides sprayed early in the season disrupt the ecosystem beyond revival,
which makes crop dependent on continuous insecticide sprays for the control of insects throughout the season.
2. Intercropping with any of the compatible crop such as cowpea, sorghum, soybean, blackgram, green gram
and clusterbean to encourage natural enemies of cotton pests.
3. Seed treatment with Imidacloprid or Thiamethoxam (8 g/kg seed) to protect crop against sucking pests
such as aphids, whitefly, jassid and thrips.
4. Optimum use of nitrogenous fertilizers to minimise susceptibility of cotton crop to sucking pests.
5. Intercultural operations and weeding as and when required.
6. Use biopesticides and/ or biological control agents for eco-friendly pest management.
7. Install pheromone traps 5 /ha for monitoring and 20/ha for mass trapping of Pink bollworm.
8. Leaf reddening: Apply spray of MgSO4 1 %, Urea 2%, followed by DAP 2%.

DONT’S

1. Late and pre-season sowing of crop. Avoid late sowing (beyond 15th May) in North India to prevent
ClCuD. Avoid pre-season sowing in central and south India for pink bollworm management. In central and
south India sowing should be done in June.
2. Avoid chemical insecticides during the first two months of the crop. During initial phase of crop growth,
natural enemies such as ladybird beetles, Chrysoperla, Syrphid fly, Geocoris bugs, Aenasius arizonensis,
onensis, Acerophagus papaya, Aphilinus wasps and spiders prey on sucking pests (aphid, jassid, thrips,
mirids, whitefly and mealybugs) as well as eggs of lepidopteran pests. Avoiding chemical sprays during this
period helps to conserve naturally occurring biological control agents that help to keep pest population under
check.
3. Not to spray against minor lepidopteran insects such as the cotton leaf folder, Sylepta derogata and cotton
semilooper, Anomis flava. These insect larvae cause negligible damage to cotton but serve as hosts for
parasitoids such as Trichogramma spp., Apanteles spp and Sysiropa formosa, that attack H. Armigera and
other bollworms.
4. Minimum foliar sprays of neonicotinoid insecticides such as Acetamiprid, Imidacloprid, Clothianidin and
Thiomethoxam which are likely to aggravate insect resistance, since Bt cotton hybrid cotton seeds are treated
with neonicotinoids.
5. Do not use WHO Class 1a and Class 1b insecticides (Extremely and Highly harzardous category).

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 6. Avoid Pyrethroids during the first 4 months after sowing. Pyrethroids may be used only late in the season as
one or at the most two sprays for the control of pink bollworm.
7. Avoid insecticide/fungicide/ urea/ growth regulators mixtures all through the crop phase to prevent
outbreaks of pest such as whitefly and unwanted vegetative growth which hinders chemical spraying
operations.

Economic Threshold Levels (ETLs)

Farmers are advised to initiate pest management practices as soon as the pest crosses ETL.
The ETLs for major pests are as under.

Insect ETL : Pest count in a sample of 20 plants per acre

Jassid ≥5 plants showing (25% plants infested) damage grade II/ III/ IV
Thrips ≥5 plants showing silvery patches on underside of leaves above mid canopy (25% plants infested)
Whitefly 6 Whitefly/plant
Aphids ≥2 affected plants counted randomly showing symptoms cupping / crumpling of few leaves on the
upper portion of plant (10% plants infested)
Mealybugs ≥20 plants/acre showing damage grade II/ III/ IV
Mirid bugs ≥5 mirid nymphs or adults per plant ( from top canopy squares) (25% plants infested)
Spodoptera ≥2 Egg mass / cluster of gregarious larvae
Spodoptera ≥10 infested plants (50%) having ≥5 solitary full grown larvae/plant
Bollworms
Bollworms 20% plants having one or more ‘flared up’ square.
(American & Spotted)
Pink bollworm More than 8 moths / trap per night for 3 consecutive nights or more than 10 % infested flowers or
bolls with live larvae.

PESTS MANAGEMENT ADVISORY

Crop growth stage: 0-60 days after sowing (DAS)

Tobacco caterpillar: Collect and destroy egg masses/ gregarious larvae/ solitary larvae by hand picking. Spray crop
with Neem oil 5ml/l +5% NSKE+ 1gm detergent powder per litre water to kill residual larvae if infestation seen.

Tobacco caterpillar, American and spotted bollworm: Under emergency situation spray Clorantraniliprole 18.5 SC
3ml/10 L water.

Mealybugs: Destroy congress grass and other weeds from field and field boundaries prior to the onset of season. Do
not disturb young cotton plants that have slight infestation of the mealybugs in early stages of the crop because
mealybug crawlers spread through human interventions.

Other sucking pests: Avoid spraying of any chemical insecticides during initial crop growth stage as Bt-cotton seeds
are treated with insecticides. However, if 25 % plants are infested by sucking pest, spray Flonicamid 50 WG 4 g/
10L water.

Pink bollworm: Install pheromone traps 5/ha at 45 DAS for monitoring of pink bollworm. Spray crop with Neem oil
5ml/L +5% NSKE+ 1gm detergent powder per litre water at 50-60DAS, mandatorily.

Jassid Whitefly Aphid Thrips

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Crop Growth Stage: 60-90 DAS

Bollworms (American and Spotted): If 20% plants are having one or more ‘flared up’ squares spray
Clorantraniliprole 18.5 SC 3ml/10 L water.

Pink bollworm: Initiate pink bollworm monitoring starting from flowering stage. Assess ETL by picking 20 green
bolls from randomly selected plants across one acre. ETL of pink bollworm -10% infested flowers or 10% infested
bolls or 8 male moths catches/trap/night for 3 consecutive nights. If ETL crosses spray Thiodicarb 75 WP 20g or
Quinalphos 20AF 20ml per 10 L of water in the month of September.

Mealybugs: Destroy congress grass. Remove infested plants in plastic bag and destroy. Conserve parasitoid, Aenasius
arizonensis and Acerophagus papayae by avoiding harmful chemicals.

Jassid, Aphid: If 25% plants shows infestation grade II/III/IV by jassid or 10% plants infested by aphid, spray
Flonicamid 50 WG 4g/10 L water.

Whitefly: Install yellow sticky traps for monitoring and management of whitefly. If whitefly cross ETL, spray
Buprofezin 25 % SC 10ml Or Diafenthiuron 50 % WP 12g Or Spiromesifen 22.9% EC 12ml Or Pyroproxifen
10%EC 20 ml per 10 L water.

American bollworm Spotted bollworm Pink bollworm Tobacco caterpillar

Crop Growth Stage: 90-120 DAS

American and spotted bollworms: If 20% plants having one or more ‘flared up square’ by bollworms, spray
Flubendiamide 39.35% SC 3ml Or Indoxacarb 14.5 SC 5ml Or Spinosad 45% SC 2.5ml per 10 L water.

Jasids, thrips: If 25% plants shows Grade II/III/IV symptoms by jassids or 50% plants show silvery patches on
underside of leaves by Thrips or 10% plants are infested by aphid, spray Thiomethoxam 25%WG 2g per 10 L water.

Whitefly: Spray Diafenthiuron 50%SC 12g per 10 L water.

Pink bollworm: Release parasitoid Trichogramma bactrae @60000/acre where ever available. Spray Chlorpyriphos
20%EC 25ml Or Thiodicarb 75 WP 20g per 10 L water after 10 days of release of Trichogramma.

Pink bollworm and/ or Mealybugs: If 20 plants/ acre having infestation Grade II/III/IV of Mealybugs and or pink
bollworm infestation observed spray Thiodicarb 75 WP 20g Or Quinalphos 20AF 25ml Or Chlorpyriphos 20 % EC
25ml per 10 L water.

Crop Growth Stage: >120 DAS

Pink bollworm: If 10% infested flowers or bolls with live larvae of Pink bollworm observed, spray Fenevelerate
20% EC 10 ml Or Cypermetherin 10% EC 10 ml per 10 L water.

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 STRATEGIES FOR PINK BOLLWORM MANAGEMENT IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH INDIA

 Avoid sowing of cotton crop in the month of April-May as it would be susceptible to pink bollworm (PBW).
 Take up sowing in the month of June with early maturing short duration Bt-
cotton hybrids/ varieties recommended for the region. Timely sown short duration
crop escapes PBW.
 Procure authentic Bt-cotton or variety seeds, retain bills of seeds that have been
purchased.
 Refuge (20% non Bt seeds) should be planted along with Bt cotton, if provided in
separate packet.
 Install pheromone traps @ 5/ha 45 days after sowing for monitoring moth
activity of PBW.
 One spray of neem seed kernel Extract 5%+ neem oil 5ml/l may be taken up at
50-60 days after sowing. Pink bollworm
 Inspect the crop at squaring and flowering stage for presence of PBW larvae within flowers.
 At boll formation stage, farmers are advised to inspect for presence and damage of PBW by plucking 20
green bolls per acre from randomly selected plants.

Rosette flower Exit hole on green boll PBW infestation in green boll PBW infestation in opened boll

 Release parasitoid Trichogramma bactrae @60000/acre, where ever available, 90DAS.

 Chemical control measures should be initiated when pink bollworm crossed Economic Threshold Level (ETL)
ETL of pink bollworm- 10% damaged flowers (rosette flowers) or 10% damaged green bolls (at least two bolls
out of 20 having white or pink larvae or exit holes) or 8 moth catches per pheromone trap per night for
consecutive 3 days.
September- Quinolphos 20% AF 20 ml Or Thiodicarb 75% WP
October- Chlorpyriphos 20% EC Or Thiodicarb 75% WP
November-Fenevelerate 20% EC or Cypermetherin 10% EC
 Destroy residual stalks and partially opened bolls.
 Collect and destroy fallen squares, flowers and bolls in the field.
 Do not store infested or stained cotton in house/ godowns.
 Picking of clean and infested cotton may be carried out separately. Clean cotton may be stored or marketed.
Infested cotton should be destroyed.
 Install light traps and pheromone traps near ginneries, market yards for mass trapping of adults. Trapped
adults should be destroyed/ killed. This should be done during season as well as off season.
 Terminate cotton crop timely by December-January.
 Crop rotation should be followed to break the life cycle of PBW.

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 ADVISORY FOR WHITEFLY MANAGEMENT IN NORTH INDIA
General recommendations

1. Timely sowing (before 15th May): Timely sown crop resists whitefly and CLCuD, whereas late sown cotton
exhibits susceptibility.
2. Select ‘CLCuD-tolerant Bt hybrids’: CLCuD-tolerant-Bt-hybrids for
north India shortlisted by AICCIP (All India Coordinated Cotton
Improvement Project of the ICAR-CICR) which may be taken up in
consultation with SAU of the region. Avoid cultivating Bt-hybrids that
are susceptible to CLCuD and whitefly.
3. Promote Desi cotton varieties: Varieties of desi cotton Gossypium
arboreum are resistant to the whiteflies and are immune to the cotton
leaf curl virus (CLCuV). Desi cotton varieties may be promoted in the
regions which are highly prone to CLCuD.
4. Grow medium duration (160-180 days) Bt-hybrids: Medium duration Bt-hybrids timely sown escape
whitefly infestation. This also facilitates timely sowing of wheat and cotton in the cotton-wheat rotation
system.
5. Weeding: Keep fields and bunds free of weeds especially during July.
6. Barrier crops: Grow two rows of sorghum or pearl-millet or maize as border around cotton fields.
7. Avoid excessive urea during vegetative phase of the crop. Excessive urea especially before square initiation
makes the crop vulnerable to sap-sucking insects especially whiteflies and leaf hoppers. Balanced nutrients of
N with adequate P and K assist plants to combat whiteflies and the CLCuD. Basal application of fertilizers at
the time of sowing and split dose at flower initiation is ideal for yield and pest management.
8. Avoid indiscriminate use of insecticides to conserve naturally occurring enemy fauna. Indiscriminate and
frequent use of insecticides disrupts cotton ecosystem and adversely affect the population of natural enemies.
Whitefly predators, such as Cheilomenes sexmaculata (Fabricius), Serangium parcesetosum (Sicard) and
Brumoides suturalis (Fabricius), Coccinella septempunctata L., Chrysoperla zastrowi sillemi (Esben-
Petersen) are present in cotton ecosystems in north India. Parasitoid like Encarsia lutea (Masi), Eretmocerus
spp., are important parasitoid of whiteflies in north India. Naturally occurring biological control in the field is
reported to have been effective for keeping whitefly population under check.

INTERVENTIONS AT ETLs

1. Install yellow sticky traps during the initial phase of whitefly infestation. Yellow sticky traps may be
standardized (based on size and density of traps) and used to correlate / determine economic thresholds of 6
adults per leaf.
2. Vacuum suction traps may be encouraged during the early phase of infestation.
3. Botanicals and biopesticides: Sprays based on Neem oil should be preferred to avoid disruption of naturally
occurring biological control. Biopesticides from Lecanicillium lecanii may be used. Target nymphal stages
and make sure that the sprays reach lower leaf surface of leaves.
4. Apply sprays of insecticides when whitefly cross ETL: Ensure that the sprays reach lower leaf surface to
target nymphal stages
Buprofezin25%SC: Chitin biosynthesis inhibitor
Pyriproxyfen 10%EC: Juvenile hormone mimic;
Diafenthiuron 50%SC: Oxidative phosphorylation inhibitor
Spiromesifen22.9%EC: Lipid synthesis inhibitor.
5. Avoid indiscriminate use of insecticides especially synthetic pyrethroids, acephate and all kinds of
insecticide mixtures during the initial phase of whitefly infestation. These insecticides are known to aggravate
resurgence of whiteflies when used indiscriminately.

The strategies are developed based on the research output from various experiments conducted by ICAR-CICR,
guidelines issued by national (CIB&RC) and international agencies (WHO, IOBC).

Written by Dr V. S. Nagrare, Dr Nandini Gokte-Narkhedkar, Dr V. N. Waghmare

June 2018