This document provides information about cotton, including its scientific name, species, distribution, origin, varieties, botany, climatic requirements, cultivation practices, quality parameters, and yields. The key points are:
- Cotton belongs to the genus Gossypium, with four main species cultivated around the world.
- India is a major producer and cultivator of cotton, growing multiple species across states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh.
- Cotton requires warm temperatures and can grow in various soil types as long as pH is between 5.5-8.5.
- Quality is determined by parameters like ginning percentage, fiber length, fineness, strength, and spinning count.
2. SCIENTIFIC NAME: Gossypium spp.
Cotton is the seed fibre.
Cotton produces finest fibre
Textile Industry uses cotton.
SPECIES OF COTTON:
There are 4 species of cotton, such as:
Asian cotton: Gossypium arboreum
African cotton: Gossypium herbaceum
American cotton: Gossypium hirsutum
Egyptian/sea land cotton: Gossypium barbadens
India is the only country where all 4 species are cultivated.
Cotton is called as the white gold.
3. DISTRIBUTION:
World: USA, China, INDIA, Pakistan, Uzbekistan
In area India ranks 1st
In production: India ranks 3rd after USA and china.
In India: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh,
Rajasthan, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
USA is the largest producer.
In India; Gossypium hirsutum is grown in 36% area, Gossypium arboreum in 16%
area, Gossypium herbaceum in 7-8% area.
Gossypicum barbadens produces the finest quality.
4. ORIGIN:
Gossypium arboreum : Asia and Africa
Gossypium herbaceum : Africa
Gossypium hirsutum & Gossypium barbadens : USA & Mexico
Bt cotton (transgenic cotton) avoid American Pinkboll worm which is a
major pest of cotton.
VARIETIES:
G. hirsutum : F-414, LH-886, F-505, MCU-5, MCU-7
G. arboreum : LD-230, LD-491, Lohit, Shamli, Malgiri, Mahaqnadi
G. barbadens : Survins (popularly known as Anjali)
G. herbaceum : G.Cotton-13, Raichur-51
Hybrids: First hybrid in world developed in India i.e. H-4, Shankar-4.
LHS-13, Dhanalaxmi, Omshankar, Maruvikas, JKHY-2, PKHY-2, CICR,
HH-1(At Nagpur) DCH-31, Savitha.
5. BOTANY OF COTTON:
Two type of branching are seen in cotton
Monopodial- vegetative branches don’t bear flower.
Sympodial- bear flower, reproductive branches.
In cotton fruit is called as boll
The fibre is the elongation of the seed coat.
In the first 15-18 days after fertilization of the boll, attain 90% of the final size.
The fibre elongation is completed by 21-24 days.
8. CLIMATIC REQUIREMENT:
It is a tropical and subtropical crop.
Annual temperature is over 15.50C.
The optimum temperature for vegetative growth is 210C.
During fruiting period the day temperature is 270C to 300C.
It can’t tolerate frost.
SOIL:
Can be grown in wide range of soil
In central India-heavy and black soil (Vertisoils).
In southern states-Red and Alluvial soil.
pH of 5.5 to 8.5. is ideal for growing of cotton.
9. COTTON GROWING REGIONS:
1. Northern- Punjab, Haryana
2. Central Zone- Maharashtra, Gujrat, Rajasthan
3. Southern- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka.
SOWING TIME:
At Northern Zone sowing time- 1st week of May
Now a days early varieties (1st week of June and 3rd week of May) is the ideal time.
At central zone: Sowing is done by onset of monsoon and time is 4th week of June to
1st week of July.
At south zone: Crop grown in onset of monsoon. For growing in residual soil moisture
August and September.
10. LAND PREPARATION:
Field should be ploughed 15-20cm deep with mould board plough.
Then 4 harrowings are done.
No stubbles of the previous crop should be left in the field.
For irrigated crop, particularly in North, the field should be prepared
by applying heavy pre-sowing irrigation.
SEED RATE:
G. hirsutum : 18-20kg/ha
G. arboreum : 10-15kg/ha
G. herbaceum : 10-15kg/ha
for hybrid seed rate is 2-3kg/ha
SPACING: 60x30cm (general).
For hybrids 120cm to 150cm (R-R) and 60cm plant to plant
11. SEED TREATMENT:
To control the seed borne diseases the seed is treated with 0.01%
Streptomycin, Oxytetracyclin (Paushamycin or Agrimycin) and with
0.1% Systemic fungicide like carboxin (vitavax) solutions for 6-8 hours.
The treated seed should be dried in shade before sowing.
METHOD OF PLANTING:
Seed drill and dibbling method are used in planting of cotton.
NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT:(N:P2O5:K2O)
For HYV – In rainfed condition In irrigated condition
50:25:25 80:40:40
For hybrid- 100:50:50 160:80:80
In heavy soil: N is applied in 2 splits: ½ N applied during thinning and another ½ at
flowering stage.
In light soil: N applied in 3 splits 1/3 at sowing, 1/3 at square formation, 1/3 at flowering
stage.
All the P and K are applied as basal. K is required for maintaining the quality of fibre to give
strength.
12. IRRIGATION:
It is a drought tolerant crop due to its deep root system.
Water requirement is 600 to 800 mm.
It cannot tolerate excess moisture in the soil .
Interval between two irrigations depends on the soil type, rainfall
and others related climatic factors.
Crop can withstand up to 75% depletion of available soil moisture.
Cannot tolerate water logging conditions .
Critical Stages:
Square formation stage
Flowering stage
Boll developing stage
13. WEED MANAGEMENT:
First 50 -60 DAS is the critical period of Crop Weed Competition,
5 – 6 intercultural operations should be done depending on the intensity of
weeds.
Weed flora: Trianthama portulacastrum, Cynodon dactylon, Portulaca
oleracea, Cellosia spp. Digitaria senguinalis, Euphorbia hirta, sedges:
Cyperus spp.
Management:
Pre planting incorporation of Basalin @ 1kg ai/ha.
Pre emergence: Pendimethalin @ 1kg ai/ha or Trifluralin @ 1kg ai/ha.
Post emergence: Diuron @0.75 kg ai/ha
Non selective herbicide used in the inter row space: Paraquat @ 0.4 kg
ai/ha; Glyphosate @ 1kg ai/ha.
14. TOPPING:
Cotton is an indeterminate plant, to check excessive vegetative
growth topping is practiced ,
Toping refers to the removal of the terminal bud. Level of topping or
at what node topping is to be done will differs with cotton plant type.
MCU-5: Topping at 15th node level (70 – 80) DAS resulted in better yields
MCU-7: 10 – 12th node (90DAS)
It restricts excessive vegetative growth retards senescence, keeping the
leaves green for longer time thus prolonging their effective period.
15. BUD AND BOLL SHEDDING:
Heavy shedding of flower buds and young bolls occur which is aggravated
under adverse conditions of soil, climate and management.(may be 60%)
Under natural conditions 10 to 15% loss occurs.
Various reasons for bud and boll shedding in Cotton:
Unfavourable Weather conditions
Imbalanced nutrient supply
Incidence of pest and disease
Physical injury
Management
Spraying of NAA –planofix @10 ppm at flower initiation (1 ml in 100 liter)
50 – 60 DAS & 15 days after 1st application resulted in retention of more
bolls.
16. HARVESTING:
Harvesting usually commences in the month of Nov. and extends to March
Harvesting is done usually by hand picking the cotton from the open
matured bolls.
Harvesting is done in 4 -5 pickings as and when bolls are fully matured.
Seed cotton should be dry before picking.
Picked seed cotton separately for marketing and protect from sun, if
exposed than lowering the grade.
YIELDS:
Dryland crop - 10to 15 q/ha
Irrigated Crops - 25 to 30q/ha
Hybrids - 35 to 40 q/ ha.
Yield is measured by Bale. 1 Bale = 170 kg
17. QUALITY PARAMETERS:
1.Ginning percentage:
Recovery of lint from seed cotton is called Ginning percentage.
This value ranges from 24 -43 % in different cottons.
GP = (Weight of lint/ Weight of seed cotton) x 100
(Seed Cotton = Cotton Seed + Lint)
2. Colour of fibre:Colour of the fibre of cotton is white with few
exceptions like desi cotton which have reddish or yellowish tinge.
White coloured cotton which are shiny are considered as superior cotton.
18. 3. Length of fibre:
The length of fibre is mainly predetermined by heredity and is only slightly
influenced by
growing conditions.
Fibre length is the mean length of lint hair expressed in mm. longer the length
superior will be the quality.
Groups Length (mm) Varieties
Short staple < 19.5 Lohit , G - 27
Medium staple 20.0 – 21.5 Raichur 51 ,DB-3-12
Medium long Staple 22.0 – 24.0 MCU-7,G cot 12
Long staple 24.5- 26.5 Krishan, JKHY– 1
Superior long staple 27.0 – 29.5 MCU -5 ,H4,Amaravathi
Extra-long staple 32 & above Suvin and sujatha
19. 4. Fibre fineness:
It denotes the diameter of the fibre hair or thickness.
Lesser the diameter superior is the quality.
Thickness of the fibre ranges from 15-20 microns.
Fibre fineness is generally expressed as microgram/ inch of the fibre which is
also called micronaire value.
Instrument MICRONAIRE is used.
Groups Fineness variety
Very fine < 3.0 -
Fine 3.0 – 3.9 MCU -5 , Varalaxmi ,H6
Average 4.0 – 4.9 H4
Coarse 5.0 -5.9 AKH -4 , maljari
Very coarse >6.0
20. 5. Fibre strength:
Fibre strength does not refer to an individual fibre but to a tuft of fibres of
a given thickness.
It is expressed as maximum load in terms of Kg that a fibre bundle can take
when stretched in one direction before it breaks.
Fibre strength is measured in thousands of pounds /sq inch or
kg/sq cm and grade is allotted, based on strength cotton is classified into
Groups Grade
Very strong >95
Strong 86 – 95
Average 76 – 85
Fair 66 -75
Weak 66- below
21. 6. Spining count:
Spinnabilty of the fibre depends on length and thickness of the fibre .
It is expressed in counts or hanks.
A count is the number of hanks that a pound of cotton gives.
One count is equal to 840 yards.
Thus finer the thread the greater will be the count. Ordinarily Indian
cottons have 22 counts.
While the best quality cotton may have count ranging between 80to400. On
the basis of spinnability cottons are divided into five groups.
Group Counts Varieties
Course Cotton 1 - 17 Maljari
Medium coarse 17-26 AKH4, Sanjay
Superior medium coarse 26 – 35 Nerma
Fine 35 -48 Bur 1007
Superior fine 40- 80 MCU5, H4, H6
> 80 Varalaxmi, Suvin,
22. 7. Hygroscopicity:
The dry cotton absorbs moisture from the atmosphere.
Presence of moisture in the lint affects the colour, elasticity, lustre etc., and
the fibres having moisture break very frequently.
Thus the fibres which absorbs less moisture are considered to be of superior
quality and vice-versa.
8. Seed Index:
It is the test weight , which is weight of 100 seeds (g).
Seed index of cotton varies from 4.8 to 11g.
9. Oil content:
It varies from 14.5 to 22.5% is desi cotton and ranges between 17.5 to 22.5 %
in American cottons.
10. Lint Index: It is the weight of lint form 100seeds
Lint Index = [Weight of 100 seeds/(100 –G.P)] x GP