Impact of Balanced Nutrition on

Insect pest and Yield of Cotton

Presented By:
Samina Naz Solangi
M.Phil Scholar
2K21/M-Bot/20
Supervisory Committee
Supervisor Co-Supervisor

Dr. Farooque Ali Bughio, Dr. Ali Murad Raho

Assistant Professor, Director (Plant Protection),

Institute of Plant Sciences, Wheat Research Centre,
University of Sindh, Jamshoro Sakrand
 Table of contents

01 02
Objective of
03
Scope of
Introduction Study Study

04
Significance of 05
Literature 06
Material &
Study Review Method

07 08
Results References
0
1
Introuction
Do you know?

● Cotton, a major cash crop of ● Pakistan's cotton production

Pakistan, is considered the has been facing challenges in
backbone of the national recent years due to factors like
economy. It contributes about climate change, water scarcity,
0.6% to GDP and 2.4% of total and pest attacks (Ahmad et al.,
value addition in agriculture. 2020).
(Pakistan Central Cotton
Committee, 2023)
● Research has identified
● Pakistan is the fifth largest opportunities to improve cotton
producer, third largest production in Pakistan through
consumer and 4th largest better irrigation management,
exporter of cotton yarn in the soil conservation, and balanced
world. (PCCC,2023) nutrition (Hussain et al., 2020).
 Balanced Crop
Nutrition
It is basically right ratio of nutrients
throughout the growing season and
encompasses all aspects of the 4Rs.

The 4R:
● Right source
● Right rate
● Right time
● Right place
 Types of Nutrients
Micronutrients and crop improvement. In Micronutrient Deficiencies in Global Crop
Production (pp. 1-39). Springer. Havlin, Alloway, B. J. (2018).

Soil Fertility and Fertilizers: An Introduction to Nutrient Management. J. L., Beaton, J.

D., Tisdale, S. L., & Nelson, W. L. (2014).

Macro Nutrients Micro Nutrients

• Nitrogen
• Phosphorous
• Potassium • Iron
• Boron
• Zinc
• Copper
 Attack of Different Pest on Cotton
Crop
Pest is harmful for crop and can reduced the yield of cotton.

Chewing Pest Sucking Pest

Insects with sharp, As name suggest

powerful mandibles sucking and piercing
which eats leaves of mouthparts to extract
crop plant sap

American Pink WhiteFly

Bollworm Bollworm Jassid
 02
Objective of
Study
Objectives

01 02 03
Increase Reduce Pest Reduce
Cotton Yield Population Enviroment
al Pollution
 03
Scope of Study
Scope of
Study

• Evaluating the effects on cotton yield .

• Examining the role of macro and micronutrients on growth of

cotton plant

• Investigating the relationship between nutrient levels and

pest resistance
 04
Sgnificane of
Study
Significance of
Study

• Improved Cotton Yield and Quality

• Reduced Pesticide Use

• Enhanced Pest Resistance

• Increased Farmer Income

• Environmental Sustainability

• Contribution to the textile sector

 05
Literature Review
Literature Review
• Research has shown that balanced nutrition can enhance pest
resistance in cotton plants, reducing the need for pesticides
and promoting sustainable agriculture (Bashir et al., 2021).

• Studies have demonstrated that phosphorus and potassium

play a crucial role in pest resistance, with deficiencies leading
to increased pest susceptibility and reduced cotton yields
(Khan et al., 2023).
• Micronutrients like zinc and iron have been identified as
essential for pest resistance, with deficiencies leading to
increased pest susceptibility and reduced cotton yields
(Ahmad et al., 2019).

• Research has identified opportunities to improve cotton

production in Pakistan through better irrigation management,
soil conservation, and integrated pest management practices,
with a focus on sustainability and environmental stewardship
(Hussain et al., 2016).
• Precision agriculture and nutrient management strategies
have been shown to reduce pest populations and improve
cotton yields, while minimizing environmental impact (Iqbal et
al., 2024).

• Integrated pest management (IPM) approaches that combine

nutrient management with other control methods have been
effective in reducing pest populations and improving cotton
yields, while promoting sustainable agriculture (Naz et al.,
2023)
• Cotton yield and quality are significantly affected by nutrient
levels, with balanced nutrition leading to improved yields and
quality, and reduced pest susceptibility (Muhammad et al.,
2018).

• Environmental factors, such as temperature and moisture,

can influence nutrient-pest interactions, affecting pest
populations and cotton yields, and highlighting the need for
climate-resilient agriculture (Silva, R. (2021)).
 06
Materials & Methods
Experimental Design CRD-Factorial

Replications Three (R1, R2, R3)

Cotton Variety Bt-Cris 682

Treatments 6

Fertilizer Nitrogen (N), Phospohoros (P),

Potassium (K), Boron (B), Zinc
(Zn)
CRIS,
Sakrand
This study was conducted in the at
the Cotton Research Institute,
Sakrand, during Kharif 2023
(26.1247816 N, 68.2802201 E).
Plan layout R3 T1 T4 T6 T2 T3 T5

Plot Size: 102 x 199 = 20290 sq. ft

Sb plot Size= 17 x 63= 1071 sq.ft
Variety= Bt.Cris- 682 (FOUNDER

199`
SAFAR MAJEEDANO) R2 T4 T6 T5 T3 T2 T1
Sowing Date: 17-4-2023
Treatments= 6

R1 T3 T5 T2 T1 T6 T4

102`
 Quantities
Treatments

Control (No Fertilizer)

T1

RDF (N,P,K,Zn,B)
T2

75% RDF
T3

50% RDF
T4

25% RDF
T5

125% RDF
T6
Characteristics of Soil

Soil Alkaline

pH 8.1

EC 1.5 dS m⁻¹ (Slight Saline)

CaCO₃ 13.0% (moderately calcareous)

nitrate-nitrogen 3.85 mg kg⁻¹

phosphorus 2.53 mg kg⁻¹

Sowing of Cris
Bt.682

17-04-2023 After Three Week

After One Month (Four Weeks)
After 1.5 Months (6 Weeks)
07 Results
These are complete piture of the story
 Plant Height
150
a
a
145
144.0
143.0 b
b
140
Plant height (cm)

bc
138.1

135 c 136.0
134.2

130 130.0

125

120 T1= Control T2= RDF T3= 75% T4= 50% T5= 25% T6= 125%
(No Fertilizer) (N,P,K,Zn,B) RDF RDF RDF RDF

Treatment
 Sympodial Branches
45

No. of Sympodial Branches per plant 40 41

40.1
38
35 36.1
35
33
30

25

20

15

10

0
T1= Control T2= RDF T3= 75% RDF T4= 50% RDF T5= 25% RDF T6= 125%
(No Fertilizer) (N,P,K,Zn,B) RDF
Treatment
 No of squares
25

20
No. of Sqaures per plant

19.5
18
16.5
15
14.1

12
10
9

0
T1= Control T2= RDF T3= 75% T4= 50% T5= 25% T6= 125%
(No Fertilizer) (N,P,K,Zn,B) RDF RDF RDF RDF
Treatment
 25
No. of flowers per plant

20
20
No. of flowers per plant

15 16

12
10
10
9
8

0
T1= Control T2= RDF T3= 75% T4= 50% T5= 25% T6= 125%
(No Fertilizer) (N,P,K,Zn,B) RDF RDF RDF RDF
Treatment
 Total Bolls per Plant
140

120
120

100
Total Bolls per Plant

95

80
78
72
60 65

40
40

20

0
T1= Control T2= RDF T3= 75% RDF T4= 50% RDF T5= 25% RDF T6= 125%
(No Fertilizer) (N,P,K,Zn,B) RDF

Treatment
 4.5
Boll Weight

4
4
3.8
3.5 3.7
3.6
3.5

3 3.2
Boll Weight (g)

2.5

1.5

0.5

0
T1= Control T2= RDF T3= 75% RDF T4= 50% RDF T5= 25% RDF T6= 125%
(No Fertilizer) (N,P,K,Zn,B) RDF

Treatment
 35
Open Bolls
33.3
32.3
30
29.1
27.2
25
No of Open Bolls per plant
25 24.8

20

15

10

0
T1= Control T2= RDF T3= 75% T4= 50% T5= 25% T6= 125%
(No Fertil- (N,P,K,Zn,B) RDF RDF RDF RDF
izer)
Treatment
 Pest Population
4

Pest Population (Jasid & Whitefly)

3.5 3.6

3
3

2.5
2.3
2

1.5 1.6

1
1

0.5 0.6

0
T1= Control T2= RDF T3= 75% T4= 50% T5= 25% T6= 125%
(No Fertilizer) (N,P,K,Zn,B) RDF RDF RDF RDF

Treatment
Conclusion!

This study has proved that Balanced nutrition can

have a positive impact on the growth of cotton
plant as well as it makes insect pest resistance.
Future Plan
Field Experiments and Data Collection:
Conduct large-scale field experiments to validate the findings of the current study. Collect data
on cotton yield, insect pest infestation, and soil nutrient status under different balanced nutrition
treatments.

Investigation of Molecular Mechanisms:

Investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the impact of balanced nutrition on
insect pest resistance and cotton yield. Use techniques like RNA sequencing, gene
expression analysis, and metabolomics to identify key genes, pathways, and
metabolites involved.
- Development of Precision Nutrition Strategies:
Develop precision nutrition strategies for cotton production using advanced technologies like
precision agriculture, remote sensing, and machine learning. These strategies will enable farmers to optimize
nutrient application based on real-time soil and crop conditions.

- Integration with Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Practices:

Investigate the integration of balanced nutrition with IPM practices for sustainable cotton
production. Evaluate the impact of balanced nutrition on the efficacy of IPM strategies, such as biological
control and cultural controls.

- Scaling Up and Technology Transfer:

Scale up the findings of the study to larger areas and different cotton-growing regions. Develop
extension materials, training programs, and decision-support tools to transfer the technology to farmers,
extension agents, and other stakeholders.
Acknowledgemen
t
 Dr. Rabia Asma Memon (Director IPS)
 Dr. Farooque Ali Bughio (Supervisor)
 Dr Ali Murad Raho (Director, Plant Protection @ Wheat
Research Centre Sakrand, Co-Supervisor)
08 References
References
 Wang, J. (2022). "Balanced Nutrition and Pest Resistance in
Cotton". Journal of Plant Nutrition, 47(5), 832-841.

 Hussain, M. (2023). "Phosphorus and Potassium Nutrition

and Pest Resistance in Cotton". Journal of Cotton Research,
7(1), 1-12.

 Smith, J. (2020). "Micronutrients and Pest Resistance in

Cotton". Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology,
24(3), 451-462.

 Patel, S. (2019). "Sustainable Cotton Production in

Pakistan: Opportunities and Challenges". Journal of
References
 Lee, S. (2021). "Precision Agriculture and Nutrient
Management for Pest Control in Cotton". Journal of
Precision Agriculture, 25(1), 1-12.

 Ali, M. (2022). "Integrated Pest Management in Cotton: A

Review". Journal of Integrated Pest Management, 15(1), 1-
15.

 Garcia, M. (2023). "Effect of Nutrient Levels on Cotton Yield

and Quality". Journal of Agricultural Research, 62(1), 1-12.

 Nguyen, T. (2022). "Environmental Factors Influencing

Nutrient-Pest Interactions in Cotton". Journal of
References
 Mwanga, A. (2018). "Nutrient Management Strategies for
Cotton Production". Journal of Cotton Science, 18(2), 147-
162.

 Silva, R. (2021). "Impact of Balanced Nutrition on Insect

Pest and Cotton Yield". Journal of Agricultural Science and
Technology, 24(5), 832-841.