Cotton pest control in the Eastern Province, Tanganyika

Abstract

This paper reports a series of experiments at IIonga Research Station, Eastern Province, Tanganyika, on the use of insecticides to control local cotton pests and on the interaction between time of planting, amount of insect damage and yield. The best yields were obtained by planting the cotton as soon as rainfall made it possible. Whilst loss of all flower buds for the first month of flowering made only a small difference to the yield, loss over a longer period would make the use of insecticides necessary and profitable. The choice of the best insecticide treatment is difficult; but of those tested the two best were either a mixture of lIb. D.D.T./t lb. Gamma B.H.e./ acre/application or Endrin at llb./acre/application, to be applied in 6-12 gal. of water per acre at weekly intervals during the period of insect attack. Time of planting and quality of cultivation have an overriding effect upon yield.