Economic Impact of Implementing IPM in Cotton through Farmers' Participatory Approach in Cotton Belt of Punjab

The research aimed to estimate the costs and returns of cotton cultivation in IPM and non-IPM villages in Punjab. The IPM module, developed by Punjab Agricultural University, was implemented in eight villages across four districts, namely Mansa, Muktsar, Bathinda and Fazilka, during 2016-2018. Results revealed significantly fewer insecticide sprays in IPM villages compared to non-IPM ones, leading to lower spray costs. Similarly, the number and cost of fungicide sprays were lower in IPM villages. The average cost of cultivation was higher in non-IPM villages, while seed cotton yield and net returns were higher in IPM villages. The findings suggested that adopting IPM technology was more profitable for cotton cultivation in Punjab.