For nearly four years now, the deadly pink bollworm has ravaged cotton crops in the northern states of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. Cotton cultivation in these states has fallen from around 16 lakh hectares last year to only 10 lakh hectares this year, as of the first week of July.
The pink bollworm (PBW), known among farmers as gulabi sundhi, damages the cotton crop by burrowing its larvae into the cotton bolls. This results in the lint being cut and stained, making it unfit for use. While there exist effective techniques to prevent PBW attacks, these methods gave not seen widespread adoption by farmers.
A pink scourge
The PBW first appeared in North India during the 2017-18 season, in a few locations of Haryana and Punjab, primarily cultivating Bt cotton. By 2021, the pest began to cause considerable damage in several districts in Punjab, including Bathinda, Mansa, and Muktsar. The Punjab Agricultural Department reported that around 54 per cent of the area under cotton production experienced varying degrees of PBW infestation in 2021. That year, adjoining areas in Rajasthan also detected PBW infestation.
Since 2021, the frequency of PBW attacks in the three aforementioned states has increased annually. Apart from Punjab, affected districts in Rajasthan are Sri Ganganagar and Hanumangarh, and in Haryana, Sirsa, Hisar, Jind, and Fatehabad. This year, two months after sowing, reports of PBW infestation are emerging across these states.
Controlling PBW spread
PBW primarily spreads through the air. Residue of infected crops, often left by farmers on the field to be used as fuel, can also harbour PBW larvae which can then infect future crops. Infected cotton seeds are another reason behind the pest’s spread.
Once PBW has been detected in the crop, experts from the Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana advise spraying insecticides. Upon frequent application, these can save uninfested cotton bolls, but not those in which the pest has already entered.
To prevent future infestation, experts suggest that fields which saw PBW infestation should not be planted with the cotton crop, for at least one season. Moreover, farmers are advised to burn residue at the earliest, and ensure there is no mixing between healthy and unhealthy seeds (or cotton). The latter recommendation also applies to cotton factories
Preventive measures
There are two primary techniques to prevent PBW outbreaks — both rely on disrupting the insects’ mating process, and cost roughly Rs 3,300 to 3,400 per acre. The first, which is environment friendly and considered to be the “gold standard” of crop protection in the West, involves the application of a certain paste onto the stems of cotton plants, near the shoots.
“This paste releases synthetic pheromones that attract male insects. But due to the widespread presence of these pheromones, these males are then unable to locate the females. This disrupts the mating process, and reduces PBW population,” Dr Vijay Kumar, Senior Entomologist at Punjab Agriculture University (PAU), Ludhiana, told The Indian Express. For a one-acre field with roughly 7,000 cotton plants, the paste needs to be applied to 350-400 plants spread across the field, a total of three times — at the 45-50 day, 80 day, and 110 day marks after sowing.
The second technology, known as the PBKnot Technology, also works on a similar principle. Here, thread knots with pheromone dispensers are placed strategically on the cotton fields to confuse male moths, and prevent them from finding females. This dispenser has to be tied to cotton plants when they are 45-50 days old.
Problems with adoption
Beyond farmers’ traditional conservatism regarding the adoption of new techniques and technologies, the fundamental problem in dealing with PBW infestation has been the focus on curative rather than preventive measures. This is because the latter do not often present an immediate need, nor do they show immediate benefits. The thinking is that if there is no PBW attack, there is no need to spend Rs 3,300-3,400 extra per acre on the crop.
Moreover, there is also a significant lack of awareness and training among farmers about using the aforementioned preventive techniques. As noted by farmer Harpal Singh from Mansa district’s Burj Bhalike village, “Understanding and trusting new technology takes time.” Singh was part of a PBKnot trial held in Punjab in 2022. He also pointed out to the fact that the costs may make adoption unfeasible, especially for farmers with limited resources.
“Intensive training programs and awareness campaigns are necessary to ensure farmers understand and trust the new technology,” Bhagwan Bansal, a cotton expert and owner of SS Cotgin Pvt Ltd, a cotton processing unit in Bathinda, said. “Expanded field demonstrations, and government and private sector support in the form of subsidies or financial aid can make these technologies more accessible to farmers,” he said.
Ultimately, effectively dealing with PBW will require a coordinated effort among states where the pest has been wreaking havoc. Since it can travel through air, inadequate management in any one state can potentially destroy crops in the neighbouring states.
The pink bollworm burrows its larvae onto the cotton boll, staining and cutting the lint. (Wikimedia Commons) 
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