Comparison of Substitutive Chemicals Recommended by Manufacturers and Agricultural Institutions for Cotton Pest Control

Indian farmers can obtain information on pesticides from the manufacturers, agricultural institutions and the formulators. Literatures form the first two sources was compared with a view to know the cost to farmers and substitutive products for cotton pest control. The price of active ingredient was higher by 9.5 per cent in wattable powders than for dusting powders. The cost of the active ingredient in liquid formulation was higher by 43 per cent than dusting powder. The price indices for unit cost of active ingredient in liquid formulations were: 1 litre packing 104.1, 0.5 litre 109.7, 0.25 litre 112.7, and 0.1 litre 121.4, where 5 litres = 100. In these products marketed by large companies, the price index of the smallest packing was even higher. Prices of the same chemicals showed a variation of +12/-10 per cent over the average price. A comparison of structure and contents of recommendations of substitutive chemicals by manufacturers and agricultural institutions, for cotton pest control, has shown the need for rationalization of these recommendations on the following lines: Insecticides should be recommended for groups of pests. The quantity of formulation to be used per unit area should be stated, along with quantity of spray required. There is a need to differentiate the past status for proper emphasis. Due to a wide variation in the number and quantity of insecticides recommended by the manufacturers and the agricultural institutions, there is a need to rationalize these, as also to decide if less expensive chemicals can be substituted for the expensive ones.