Cotton pest scouting is systematic inspection of cotton field for insects and their damage to obtain an estimate of the types and numbers of important insects and severity of their damage in the field by checking a limited number of plants or plant parts. To monitor cotton growth, different government departments and agencies in Pakistan record and communicate pest scouting, agricultural and metrological data each season throughout the life cycle of plant.

Emphasis must be placed on Integrated Pest management (IPM) techniques. The purpose of pest scouting is to make decisions on the pest management in the whole field based on small samples of number of pests per plant. Therefore, pest scouting should be conducted following prescribed scouting procedures and taking an adequate sample size. Farmers should proactively conduct their own pest scouting to save the cotton crop. By knowing the type of pest, population per plant or location, and the level of damage in the affected area will enable the farmer to make a decision about the pest control strategies.

Application of pesticides without scouting usually costs the grower either yield or unnecessary cost of insecticide applications. Decision support system must include pest management by knowing the kind, number, and location of insects and their damage thresholds within a field. Farmers should monitor the crop growth and weather reports regularly to saver their crop from severe damage and economic losses.