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One can see vast stretches of cotton fields
whilst driving through the Malwa region
of Punjab. However, a drastic decline in
yield has been observed over the past decade,
(from 2.5 million bales in 1991-92 to 0.6
million bales in 1998-99) mainly due to
diseases in the crop through insect and
pest attacks. The farmers have been at their
wits end, trying to counter the menace through
the indiscriminate usage of pesticides,
which ironically, has led to the development
of resistance in pests, and rampant pollution
of the environment and the soils.
Pesticide misuse is a significant health
and economic hazard to producers, consumers
and the environment. The evolution of new
races, pathotypes, strains and biotypes
of the pathogens and insect pests worsens
the scenario further.
Amidst this backdrop, the Trusts collaborated
with the department of entomology at the
Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana,
in 2002, for a three-year project under
the Reviving the Green Revolution initiative.
Cotton Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
technology was validated and promoted at
farmers’ fields in six villages in
Ferozepur and Muktsar districts.
These cotton farmers were convinced of
the benefits from the adoption of IPM and
were encouraged to adopt this technology
on a larger scale. This spurred the Trusts
to expand their involvement within the initiative,
through a second phase of support to PAU,
commencing March 2005. The Trusts also provided
a two-year support to the Department of
Agriculture (DoA), government of Punjab,
towards the development, validation and
promotion of the PAU model of cotton-IPM
technology in 112 villages across 28 cotton
blocks, spread over seven districts in Punjab,
besides demonstrating the effective use
of bio-agents.
The Trusts' support towards IPM has received
an encouraging response so far, with Phase
2 (2005-08) benefiting not only 1,120 selected
farmers directly (during Kharif 2007), but
also more than 10,000 families indirectly.
The average number of pesticide sprays,
which constitute the major component of
input cost in cotton cultivation, has been
reduced by 80 per cent. The average input
cost has been reduced by about Rs600 / acre
through minimising the use of pesticides,
and balancing the use of fertiliser and
other inputs. The farmers’ income showed
an improvement as a result of the project
to the tune of Rs7,440 / hectare, because
of the reduction in cost, and the enhancement
of yield by about one quintal per acre.
Overall, the IPM cotton project has led
to increase in income to the tune of Rs23,000
per farmer.
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