Detailed roadmap issued for early cotton sowing

FAISALABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Feb, 2026) The Agriculture Department on Thursday issued comprehensive recommendations for early cotton cultivation, advising the farmers to complete sowing between mid-February and March 31 to achieve better yield and pest resistance.

He said that the districts in Faisalabad, Multan, Sahiwal, Sargodha and Dera Ghazi Khan divisions are considered more suitable for early cotton cultivation due to favorable climatic conditions.

For early sowing, the growers should cultivate only triple-gene cotton varieties to ensure effective weed and pest management, he added.

He said that the farmers must use certified seed verified by the Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department and ensure that the seed is of pure triple-gene variety.

He warned that spraying glyphosate on non-triple-gene varieties could destroy the crop as only triple-gene cotton possesses resistance against glyphosate herbicide and major pests particularly against pink bollworm.

Providing further technical guidance, he explained that plant population per acre for early cultivation should be lower than that of conventional seasonal sowing.

Generally, the row-to-row distance should be maintained at 2.5 feet while plant-to-plant spacing should range between 1.5 to 2 feet to ensure healthy crop growth, he added.

He advised the growers to use high-quality, healthy, pure and disease-free certified seed of recommended varieties. For dibbling method, the farmers should place four to five seeds per hole. However in case of drill sowing, they should use an additional two to three kilograms seed per acre, he added.

The spokesman further advised the farmers to arrange 10 percent extra seed to fill gaps, if necessary. In case of 60 percent germination, five to six kilograms seed per acre should be used while for 75 percent or higher germination, four to five kilograms per acre would be sufficient to achieve the desired plant population and optimal yield, he added.