Early sowing reduces cotton leaf curl virus occurrence and improves cotton productivity

Abstract

Cotton productivity is severely hampering by various diseases and insect pests especially cotton leaf curl virus (CLCV) worldwide. Losses caused by CLCV are far more than any other factor affecting cotton productivity. Growing of early and resistant genotypes is of vital significance in alleviating the adversities of these pests in crop plants. The current field trial was conducted at Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI) Multan, Pakistan, to investigate the role of varying sowing dates in managing the CLCV infestation on different elite cotton genotypes. The crop was sown on five different dates i.e. D1= 15th April, D2 = 1st May, D3 = 15th May, D4 = 1st June and D5 = 15th June and three different elite cotton genotypes, i.e. V1= CIM-612, V2 = CIM-591 and V3 = CIM-573 to optimize a suitable sowing date and to screen out high productive and tolerant genotype against the CLCV. Seeds were drilled manually on finely crafted seedbed by using single row hand drill keeping seeding density of 20 kg ha-1 and inter row spacing of 75cm. CLCV severely hampered the crop performance by delayed planting of cotton from 15th April; while increased the chances of disease incidence. It is concluded that early sowing of all tested genotypes especially CIM-592 reduces the problem of CLCV and enhanced cotton productivity.