Abdul Ghafoor Burdi, a cotton grower, sharing his fresh studies stated regardless of spending massive amounts on chemical enter every year he failed to offer protection to vegetation from illness.
Residing in village Banbhan, Tehsil Thari Mirwah in Khairpur district, the farmer cultivates cotton on 20 acres once a year, checking out other seeds types and spending no less than Rs120,000-Rs130,000/acre on insecticides to save the crop. But he does now not get correct yield.
After experiencing losses for a few years, he realized organic farming from a Farmer Field School (FFS), which skilled him regarding climate good agriculture and cost effectiveness. He makes use of in the community produced extracts of various crops with “virus curing qualities”.
He has been in a position to manage pests like whitefly through Kara tuma (Citrullus colocynthis), seed and leaves of neem (Azadirachta indica) and extract of Aak (Calotropis procera).
The strategies being implemented to keep watch over the pests come with the usage of chilly water spray, detergent powders towards whitefly on cotton crop, use of yellow banner (cloth) treated with sticky subject matter and foliar spray of micro-nutrients on cotton. Chemical regulate as and when required was once also used, that is regarded as the final possibility. “These natural remedies can save the crops from most of diseases,” Burdi stated.
The FFS aims to keep an eye on crop illnesses and kill harmful bugs through low cost herbal strategies, which assist achieve high productiveness. The school imparts coaching through a participatory learning means, the place farmers be told through doing things themselves. Field experimentation is one of the highest gear for farmers, which boosts crop control selections.
“After learning these methods, I have adopted natural remedies to avoid any side-effects on the crop,” Burdi said. “Results were inspiring against cotton leaf curl virus (CLCuV) and harmful insects like whitefly. After my success, many farmers from neighbouring villages visit my field.”
Another farmer from the similar house, Ghulam Shabir Khaskheli also learned organic farming and climate good agriculture practices. He used to be additionally proud of the effects. The methods helped him save hundreds on pricey pesticides. He makes use of extracts of indigenous crops.
According to farmers, the severity of CLCuV disease will also be minimised through planting occasions. The virus occurrence used to be managed 20-30 p.c on farmers’ fields with increasing use of nitrogen and potassium through splitting or blended packages with foliar spray of boron.
Other practices like built-in pest control (IPM) techniques had been also applied to control whitefly that serves as primary vector of CLCuV disease.
Besides white flies, jassid and thrips, there are different issues like irrigation water shortage, extreme warmth wave, which damages the crop. There is a necessity of collaborated efforts to reduce CLCuV, which supplies supply of income to farmers and a large number of cotton picking ladies.
Cotton is thought of as a big cash crop of Pakistan after wheat and occupies the largest house in the country compared to different crops. Among primary crops, cotton accounts for six.nine % of value-added in agriculture and 1.4 percent of the GDP.
According to a survey via Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI) Sakrand Sindh it was once estimated that CLCuV destroyed 30 % crop because of widespread attack of whiteflies in cotton crop illness. The illness is both managed through the development of resistant types or other standardised cultural practices.
FFS-led built-in pest control and easiest management practices are being implemented in Pakistan since 1995. It has adequately addressed the cultural control of CLCuV in fields. Under this initiative, the crop used to be ceaselessly seen thru cotton ecosystem research (CESA), an crucial software of FFS method. Whitefly population used to be recorded and controlled via particular techniques.
Women Agriculture Development Organisation (WADO) has taken this initiative in collaboration with International Center for Agricultural Research within the Dry Areas (ICARDA), operating FFSs to benefit native farmers.
The organisation is working on agriculture for mitigating the effects of CLCuV and supporting cotton, the foremost crop of the region. They organize trainings for farmers to use natural and affordable learn how to save crop and cash.
Rasool Bakhsh Khaskhely, a researcher, related to Sindh Agriculture Extension department, hailing from Khairpur district, stated these herbal strategies were environment pleasant, controlling cotton crop and saving expenses of farmer, which in a different way they used to spend on buying pricey chemical enter.
Comparing, he argues that pesticides now not most effective purpose danger to human well being but kill earth pleasant bugs, while harming the ecosystem.
“These environment-friendly applications to save crops did not damage cattle heads rearing on the crops. The animals stay safe and healthy in case they move to the cotton crop for consuming vegetation,” he added.
Khaskhely believes that the arena countries had been now extra conscious about the usage of natural therapies to avoid wasting agriculture merchandise, maintain ecosystem and bring organic crops. He encouraged farmers to observe the most productive practices in agriculture.
He expressed the hope that in the long run small farmers would benefit from those practices, which might scale back their expenses and help achieve optimal yield. These treatments were simply to be had to farmers.
Asmat Rajput, chairperson, WADO, claims to have initiated other experiments through FFS for CLCuV management to save the important crop. The main objective of this component was to validate and switch perfect management practices for managing cotton crop illnesses, she added. “The application of urea and micro-nutrients has improved crop vigour and colour as well.”
