Pink Bollworm (गुलाबी बोंडअळी) Control in Cotton: ETL Guidelines, Pheromone Traps, and Spray Schedule for Vidarbha Farmers

Cotton (कपाशी / पांढरे सोने) is the primary cash crop of Vidarbha and Khandesh, covering vast tracts across Yavatmal, Wardha, Nagpur, Akola, and Jalgaon. In recent years, the emergence of resistance in Pink Bollworm (*Pectinophora gossypiella* / गुलाबी बोंडअळी) to Bollgard II Bt cotton has posed a severe threat to yields and lint quality.

Because pink bollworm larvae bore into flower buds (rosette flowers) and developing green bolls within 24 to 48 hours of hatching, conventional insecticide spraying after the pest enters the boll is completely ineffective.

The Central Institute for Cotton Research (ICAR-CICR, Nagpur) and Dr. PDKV, Akola advocate an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy that targets the pest before it enters the boll.

Pink Bollworm Lifecycle & Management Calendar

1. Monitoring with Pheromone Traps and Economic Threshold Levels (ETL)

Do not spray expensive chemical insecticides blindly. Base your management strictly on Economic Threshold Level (ETL) monitoring:

• •Trap Density: Install 2 pheromone traps per acre at 45 days after sowing for monitoring. Position the trap funnel 1 foot above the crop canopy.
• •Pheromone Lure Replacement: Replace the pheromone lure (Gossyplure) every 20 to 25 days, as UV sunlight degrades the attractant.
• •Understanding the ETL:
• •Surveillance Alert: When you catch 8 or more moths per trap per night for 3 consecutive nights.
• •Sampling Alert: When 10% of green bolls inspected at random show entrance holes or internal pink larvae.

2. Cultural & Mechanical Control Measures

1. 1.Rosette Flower Collection: Walk the field twice a week between 50 and 80 DAS. Pluck rosetted (closed lotus-like) flowers containing young larvae, collect them in a bucket, and destroy them away from the field.
2. 2.Light Traps: Install 1 solar or electric light trap per 5 acres to attract and destroy adult nocturnal moths.
3. 3.Border Crops: Plant 2 to 3 rows of pigeonpea (tur) or maize around cotton plots to serve as barrier crops and support predatory beneficial insects (ladybird beetles, spiders).

3. Recommended Bio-pesticides and Chemical Spray Schedule

If pest population breaches the ETL threshold, follow this phased scientific schedule:

• •Phase 1 (45–60 DAS - Preventive): Spray 5% Neem Seed Kernel Extract (NSKE 50,000 ppm) or Azadirachtin 1500 ppm @ 5 ml per liter of water. Neem deters egg-laying and sterilizes adult moths.
• •Phase 2 (60–90 DAS - Biological): Release egg parasitoid wasp *Trichogramma bactrae* @ 60,000 eggs per acre at weekly intervals (3 releases).
• •Phase 3 (Post-ETL Chemical Sprays):
• •Ovicidal Spray: Profenofos 50% EC @ 30 ml per 15 liters of water, OR
• •Emamectin Benzoate 5% SG @ 5 grams per 15 liters of water.
• •For late-stage heavy infestation: Chlorantraniliprole 18.5% SC @ 6 ml per 15 liters of water.

4. The Golden Rule: Strictly Avoid Ratoon Cotton (खोडवा कपाशी)

Taking a ratoon crop (खोडवा) is the single biggest contributor to pink bollworm outbreaks in Vidarbha. - Prolonging the crop into January, February, and March provides continuous food for multiple pest generations. - Terminate your cotton crop by December end or early January. - Shred or deep-plough the cotton stalks using a tractor-drawn rotavator to expose diapausing larvae to birds and scorching summer sunlight.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: Why are synthetic pyrethroids discouraged in early cotton stages? A1: Spraying synthetic pyrethroids (like cypermethrin or deltamethrin) in early vegetative stages kills natural predatory insects and triggers massive resurgence of whiteflies (पांढरी माशी) and aphids.

Q2: Can I reuse old pheromone lures from last season? A2: No. Pheromone lures lose their chemical volatile profile after 30 to 40 days. Always purchase fresh, sealed lures from recognized agricultural input centers.

Q3: Is there a government subsidy for cotton pheromone traps in Maharashtra? A3: Yes. Under the National Food Security Mission (NFSM-Commercial Crops) and state pest management drives, Krishi Vibhag provides subsidized IPM kits through local Taluka Krishi Adhikari offices.

Sources and Authoritative References - ICAR - Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), Nagpur: cicr.icar.gov.in - Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola — Crop Protection Department: pdkv.ac.in - Commissionerate of Agriculture, Government of Maharashtra: krishi.maharashtra.gov.in - Last Updated: September 2026