Growers say pilot did not help much in tackling pink bollworm, non-availability of water also an issue
By Prabhudatta Mishra
April 18, 2025
There has been some reduction in the cases of pest attacks following the launch of a pilot project last season to a monitor and control pink bollworm (PBW) infestation in cotton crop in Punjab.
But, the reaction from the farmers is mixed, as some of them have complained that it did not help manage PBW. As a result, they incurred losses. However, there is unanimity among them to reduce the area under cotton,partly due to PBW and primarily due to non-availability of water.
“Though the machine helped us get the alert in time, the PBW is unmanageable even after sprays,” said Beant Singh, a farmer in Sri Muktsar Sahib district. He said he would reduce the area under cotton this year to 5-6 acres from 15-16 acres earlier, mainly due to PBW, as well as water issue, too. He said the yield has dropped considerably, reducing his profit since he farming on leased land.
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/punjab-farmers-may-cut-area-under-cotton-despite-ai-driven-project-to-manage-pest-attacks/ (Source: The Hindu Businessline)