MULTAN – Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI) has issued an urgent advisory, urging cotton farmers across Punjab and Sindh to take immediate protective measures as a severe heatwave threatens to devastate the crop at its most vulnerable stage. CCRI Director Sabahat Hussain warned that early-sown cotton had entered the flowering and boll formation phase, a period where even brief heat stress can trigger significant yield losses. The Meteorological Department has forecast temperatures between 46 C and 50 C in parts of both provinces in the coming days. “Protecting the crop from stress must be the top priority,” Sabahat Hussain said, advising farmers to irrigate every four to five days, strictly during cooler morning or evening hours to reduce evaporation loss and maintain optimal soil moisture. For crops already showing flowers, squares or bolls, she recommended applying 10 to 20kg of SOP or MOP fertilizer through irrigation. A foliar spray, combining potassium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, and borax dissolved in 100 liters of water per acre should be applied every 15 days to support boll setting and development. Sabahat Hussain placed particular emphasis on amino acid applications, observing their critical role in heat tolerance. Farmers were advised to spray amino acids two to four times at 10-day intervals, paired with balanced nutrients to sustain plant vigor.All spray operations, she stressed, must be carried out in the evening for maximum effectiveness.
