Pakistan, June 15 -- Cotton growers have been advised to adopt integrated crop management practices to protect crops from severe heat stress during the critical flowering and boll formation stages.

Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI) Multan Director Ms Sabahat Hussain on Sunday said that prolonged hot and dry conditions increase the risk of flower and boll shedding, making timely irrigation and nutrient management essential for sustaining crop health and yield.

She cautioned farmers against allowing water stagnation in fields, noting that standing water heats up quickly under high temperatures, damaging the root system and adversely affecting plant growth. Excess irrigation water, she stressed, should be promptly drained.

Ms Hussa...