Botanical name :
Gossypium arboreum L. This species covers 29 % of the total acreage of cotton in the country. It is a desi cotton (n=13).
Gossypium herbaceum L. This species covers 21 % of the total acreage of cotton in the country. This species is known as desi cotton (n=13).
Gossypium hirsutum L. This species cover 50 % of the total acreage of cotton and it is known as American cotton (n=26)
Gossypium barbadense L. Area under this species is very less only few thousands hectares). This species is perennial type cotton. It is also a American cotton (n=26)
Family : Malvaceae
Origin : India is believed to be the home of cotton because the art of making cloth from cotton was first developed in India.
Economic importance
• Important fiber crops playing a key role in the history of mankind and civilization.
• "White gold“
• Grown chiefly for its fibers, which are used in manufacturing of cloth
• Also used for several other purposes like making threads, for mixing in other fibers and for extraction of oil from cottonseed.
• The oil content in the cottonseed ranges from 15-25 % depending on the varieties.
• Cotton seed cake contains about 6 % N, 3 % P2O5 and 2 % K2O.
• Cottonseed and cotton meal are good concentrated feed for cattle.
• It is also considered as a “cash” crop
By-products:
• Cottonseed constitutes about 65 % of the kapas by weight and contains about 19-20 % oil, while the oil content in kernels varies from 31 –34 %
• Cottonseed oil is rich in essential fatty acid viz., myristic, palmitoleic, steric, oleic and linoleic. Among this linoleic acid, most important fatty acid (51 %)
• The deficiency of this fatty acid lead to the narrowing of the arteries causing reduced blood supply to the heart.
• Presently, refined cottonseed oil is used for edible purposes & hydrogenated oils.
• Digestibility of oil is 97 % and nutritive value is about 9 K calories/gram.
• The keeping quality of the oil is comparable to those of groundnut and safflower oils.
• The current production of cotton oil is about 3-5 lakh tonnes per annum.
Field preparation
Cotton being a deep-rooted crop requires well-prepared seedbed. The field after the harvest of the preceding crop should be ploughed 15-20 cm deep with mould board plough. Black soils require frequent harrowing as these soils are cracked when dried. While other soils are prepared by giving one ploughing followed by one harrowing.
Time of sowing
Cotton should be sown with onset of monsoon or advance planting before onset of monsoon in the soil, e.g., Digvijay, Sanjay (CJ-73), Gujarat cotton-10 and Gujarat cotton-11.
After receiving adequate rains of first shower in monsoon, sowing should be done from last week of June to second week of July, e.g. V-797, Gujarat cotton-13, Gujarat cotton-12. The optimum time of sowing for most of cotton varieties is second fortnight of June to first fortnight of July. Where irrigation facilities are available, sowing should be done in first week of June by giving one pre-sowing irrigation or sometimes advance sowing in dry soil before onset of monsoon is also done.
Sowing should be done from second week of June up to 15th July. e.g. Deviraj.
Sowing should be done in 3rd or 4th week of June after receiving adequate rainfall, e.g. Gujarat cotton-14.
With onset of monsoon. Irrigated area of Sabarkantha district where irrigation facilities are available, sowing should be done in the first week of June by giving pre-sowing irrigation, which increases the yield, e.g. Hybrid cotton-4.
For hybrid cotton-6 and 7, sowing should be done in 3rd week of June to 1st week of July with the onset of monsoon.
Method of sowing : Dibbling or drilling method.
Seed treatment
Acid delinting of cottonseed: Mix 1 kg of commercial grade sulphuric acid (H2SO4) with 10 kg cottonseed in earthen /plastic container by stirring it vigorously for 2-3 minutes with thick wooden or glass rod. As soon as the fuzz gets dissolved, add 10 litres of water, stir well and drain out water through the perforated plastic basket. Repeat these washings three times to make the seed free from acid residue. Dip the washed seed for about 1 minute in sodium bicarbonate solution (50 g Sodium bicarbonate in 20 litres of water) to neutralize the acid residue on the cottonseed. Give 1 more washing with water and remove light damaged and rotten in viable seeds floating on the surface. Dry the healthy fuzz free seed in the shade by spreading a thin layer. In case of undelinted cotton seed is used for sowing, rub it with earth, cow dung or ash to remove its fuzz and ensure its uniform distribution. Treat the seed with recommended fungicides like Thiram @ 3 g/kg of seeds before sowing.
Manures and fertilizers : Well decomposed FYM @ 15-20 CL/ha
Fertilizers are to be applied as given below in the different regions
• South Gujarat for most of the hybrid varieties under irrigated conditions
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Nitrogen Remarks
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320 kg/ha
80 Basal application
80 One month after sowing
80 One month after first top dressing
80 One month after second top dressing
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• Sabarkantha area under irrigated conditions (Hybrid cot. 4)
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Nitrogen Remarks
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180 kg/ha
45 Basal application
45 One month after sowing
45 One month after first top dressing
45 One month after second top dressing
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• Sabarkantha, Junagadh and Achhalia (Bharuch) regions under irrigated conditions
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Nitrogen Remarks
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160 kg/ha
40 Basal application
40 One month after sowing
40 One month after first top dressing
40 One month after second top dressing
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But in Bharuch region except Achhalia, 120 kg N/ha of which 60 kg N as basal and remaining 60 kg N/ha at 30 to 45 Days after sowing.
Some manurial information of different varieties
• Digvijay and V-797 and Gujarat cotton-11 (rainfed)
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Nitrogen Remarks
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40 kg/ha
20 As basal application
20 One month after sowing
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• Gujarat Cotton Desi Hybrid-7
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Nitrogen Remarks
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160 kg/ha
40 15 to 20 days after sowing in form of urea
40 One month after sowing
40 One month after first top dressing
40 One month after second top dressing
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• Sanjay (CJ-73)
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Nitrogen Remarks
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25 kg/ha
12.5 At sowing in furrows
12.5 4 to 6 weeks after sowing
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• Gujarat cotton-13 (Rainfed)
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Nitrogen Remarks
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40 kg/ha
20 At sowing in furrows
20 4 to 6 weeks after sowing
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• Digvijay (irrigated)
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Nitrogen Remarks
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100 kg/ha
50 As basal
25 One month after sowing
25 One month after first top dressing
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• Gujarat cotton-11 (irrigated)
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Nitrogen Remarks Nitrogen
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90 kg/ha 120
40 As basal application 40
40 One month after sowing 40
25 One month after first top dressing 40
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• Gujarat cotton-10
Rainfed Irrigated
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Nitrogen Remarks Nitrogen
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80 kg/ha 150
40 As basal application 50
40 4 to 6 weeks after sowing 50 (30DAS)
- One month after first top dressing 50
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• Gujarat cotton-12 and Deviraj
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Nitrogen Remarks
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75 kg/ha
25 As basal application
25 4 to 6 weeks after sowing
25 4 to 6 weeks after first top dressing
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• Gujarat Cotton Desi Hybrid-9
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Nitrogen Remarks
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120 kg/ha
40 As basal application
40 One week after sowing
40 One week after first top dressing
40 One week after second top dressing
Irrigation
After last effective rainfall, in black soils having good moisture retentive capacity for hirsutum cotton, 3 to 4 irrigations, whereas, for Asiatic cotton, 2 to 3 irrigations should be given at 20-25 days interval. Similarly, in sandy soils for hirsutum cotton, 5 to 7 irrigations and for Asiatic cotton 4 to 5 irrigations should be given at 15 to 20 days interval. In order to make furrow wet, irrigation is given in alternate furrows.
If irrigation is given during square (flower bud) formation and heavy flowering stage, the excessive shedding of flower buds and young bolls may occur resulted into low yield. To avoid this loss, irrigation should not be given during these growth stages.
Farmers of middle Gujarat Agro-climatic zone (sandy loam soils) growing cotton Hy. Cotton – 8 are advised to irrigate the crop by alternate furrow method of irrigation to save 40 % irrigation water. In Narmada command area (medium black soils), three irrigations are recommended, first at one month after cessation of monsoon, second at 45 days after first irrigation and third at 35 days after second irrigation.
Farmers of Bhal and coastal region growing cotton Gujarat cotton – 13 can apply two irrigations of saline water (up to 8 dS/m) i.e. at 30 and 40 days after withdrawal of monsoon for sustaining seed cotton yield during drought year. Where the source of harvested rainwater is available, one out of two irrigations may be applied from harvested rainwater.
Farmers of south Gujarat growing irrigated cotton Hy-6 are advised to adopt drip technology under constraints of irrigation water to bring about 0.74 ha additional area under irrigation. The system should be operated at a distance of 1.2 m with dripper (4 lph) spaced at 0.45 m and operated for 60 to 70 minutes on alternate day.
Intercultivation and weeding
Cotton is highly vulnerable to weed competition especially in the initial stage of growth (50-60 days of its growth). Hence, control of weeds either by manual or by weedicides is essential to get high yields. Dry hoeing with hand hoe or spade 5-6 weeks after sowing or before first irrigation is very effective in controlling weeds. It should be repeated afterwards if necessary. Interculturing in cotton crop is necessary to create mulch, aeration of the topsoil, and better intake of water and control of weeds. Some weedicides like Diuron @ 0.5 kg a.i./ha or troflan @ 0.75 kg a.i./ha or Basalin @ 1.0-1.25 kg a.i./ha in 600-800 litres of water should be applied as pre-planting spray.
Farmers of south Saurashtra growing hybrid cotton – 10 are advised to apply fluchloralin or pendimethalin 0.9 kg/ha as pre-emergence blanket application along with HW and IC at 30 and 50 DAS
In irrigated areas of south Gujarat, for effective control of weeds in HY. Cotton –4, application of Oxadiazon @ 1.0 kg/ha as pre-emergence followed by application of Diuron @ 0.75 kg/ha at 20 days of sowing along with four hand weedings or Diuron 0.75 kg/ha at 20 days of sowing along with four hand weeding were found effective or Oxadiazon @ 1.0 kg/ha as pre-emergence followed by application of Diuron @ 0.75 kg/ha at 20 days of sowing along with two hand weeding are also effectively controlled the weeds.
In north-west zone, one interculturing and hand weeding after four weeks of sowing the cotton variety V-797 is recommended.
Harvesting
Cotton is harvested in three to four pickings by hand as the bolls mature. Picking should be done when bolls begin to fully burst and Kapas begins to hang down. The kapas thus picked should be spread in the sun to dry for two - four hours on a clean surface. Soon after the last picking, pull out the cotton sticks along with the roots from the field and bury the remaining plant debris with a soil turning plough as a sanitary measures against pests and diseases.
Yield
Hybrids: 2500 kg/ha seed cotton
Deshi: 1200 to 1500 kg/ha seed cotton, 233 kg lint/ha
