LAHORE, Oct 16: Discoloured and withered leaves seen in a plant in cotton fields these days sounds an alarm to growers that the dreaded Cotton Leaf Curl Virus (CLCV) has staged a comeback in Pakistan.

"Although the attack being attributed to the Burewala strain of CLCV is not as severe as that which hit the cotton crop in the early 1990s, we must develop varieties that can withstand this problem," said Islam Gill, director Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI), Multan.

This is the second time in 12 years that Pakistan's cotton-based economy experienced setback due to the deadly plant disease.

The first time, crop production nosedived to about 8 million bales in 1993 after attaining a peak level of 12.8 million bales in 1991.

The problem dogged the country's cotton crop for many years before dying down. Its recurrence was first witnessed in 2001-02 in Burewala Tehsil of Vehari district, earning it the name of Burewala strain CLCV.

Since the last two years, symptoms of the disease were seen in almost all core and non-core districts of the cotton belt in Punjab, on all popular commercial varieties, including those marketed as CLCV-resistant.

Cotton scientists in the country succeeded in producing CLCV-resistant and tolerant cultivars in a short time, but at the cost of fibre quality, strength, and staple length.

This time, while the virus effects are not so drastic, a stunning effect has been noticed on the plants, necessitating the use of more water and agro-chemicals to overcome the problem.

The federal government has initiated a project to manage the Burewala strain by involving researchers from institutions like Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI), Multan, Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology (NIAB), Faisalabad, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Faisalabad, Cotton Research Institute, Faisalabad, Agri Extension, Punjab, Central Cotton Research Institute, Sakrand (Sindh), Cotton Research Station, Tandojam (Sindh), Agriculture Extension Department, Balochistan and Agriculture Extension, NWFP.

Work is being done on developming varieties showing resistance to the Burewala strain of virus, while efforts by a private sector firm, Ali Akbar group also offer a ray of hope for Pakistan's cotton crop.-APP