Objectives:

• To characterize the bio-physical and socio-economic factors under the selected area of that Agro Ecological sub-regions.
• To integrate bio-physical and socio-economic factors under GIS environment.
• To identify the agro economic constraints in rainfed cotton based production systems.

RCPS - 2 Optimising nutrient supply in relation to moisture availability for enhanced productivity and stability of rainfed cotton based production system - Jagvir Singh and Blaise

Objectives:

• To develop database from across the rainfed cotton growing area and optimize nutrient requirement in relation to rainfall pattern and moisture availability in different soil types to refine existing fertiliser recommendations.
• To evaluate integrated nutrient supply systems that improves synchrony between crop demand and supply for fertiliser use efficiency in cotton.
• To investigate the interactive effects of nutrients supply and moisture status on pest and disease incidence under sole and intercropped situations.
• To validate simulation models with special reference to N and P transformations and assess their utility as decision support systems for cotton.

RCPS - 3 Assessment of Gossypol content in cotton germplasm - M Chakrabarty and K B hebbar

Objectives:

• To estimate the gossypol content in the different plant parts (leaves, squares, flowers and seed) at different growth stages in working collections of cotton germplasm being grown at CICR.
• To generate a database for gossypol content among the germplasm lines
• To classify the lines in terms of high, medium and low gossypol content to use them as a source of resistance in breeding programme.

RCPS - 4 Delineating the efficient productive zones for cotton production system using GIS based crop models- S Vennila and K B Hebbar

Objectives:

• Characterisation of existing cotton production zones with reference to area, productivity, soils, climate and socio-economic conditions.
• Delineation of potential growth environments for sustainable production.
• Prioritisation of research domains using yield gap analysis.

RCPS - 5 Rain water conservation, harvesting and recycling/recharging techniques for enhanced productivity of cotton-based system - K S Bhaskar, S M Wasnik, A R Raju and G Majumdar

Objectives:

• To know and document the present status of moisture conservation practices followed by the farmers in the region.
• To develop suitable toposequence based cropping system for efficient moisture use, improved productivity and GMR.
• To develop suitable land configuration and cropping system to minimize the adverse effect of excess moisture.
• To estimate the harvested run-off water in farm pond and recycling through drip and to increase the recharge capacity of irrigation wells.

RCPS - 6 Improving cotton productivity in salt affected soils through identification of species / genotypes and farmer's participation under rainfed eco- system.

Objectives:

• Comparison of cotton species and their promising genotypes and / or hybrids for salt tolerance under different agro-ecological situations.
• Identification of potential genotypes of salt tolerant species assessed as in objective I with large number of genotypes that are in pipeline.
• Evaluation and demonstration of identified potential salt tolerant cotton genotypes on farmer's fields under said agro-ecological situations.

RCPS - 7 Promotion of productive high quality G. arboreum cotton to meet the needs of marginal cultivators of rainfed ecosystem vis-à-vis textile industry - V N Waghmare

Objectives:

• Identifying productive superior medium, fine quality arboreum genotypes for rainfed ecology.
• Evaluation of G.arboreum genotypes having naked glandless seed with glanded plant to reduce processing cost of edible oil.
• Isolation of suitable genotypes from the introgressed population of G.hirsutum x G. arboreum for boll size boll number and fibre quality.
• Evaluation of suitable G.arboreum genotypes for different existing cropping systems.
• Large scale demonstration of selected potential arboreum genotypes.
• Large-scale seed production of identified arboreum genotypes to meet the seed requirement of different regions.

RCPS - 8 Chararterization and identification of productive and high quality cotton species/genotypes and practices suitable for different rainfed agro-ecological situations through farmers participatory programme - Vinita Gotmare

Objectives:

• Identification of suitable cotton species for different agro-ecological situations under existing recommended packages.
• Characterization of plant characters for sustainable production under each agro-ecological situation.
• Isolation of genotypes of identified species/ situations with high yield potential, acceptable fibre quality traits for textile needs.
• Maximization of yield of the identified species/ genotypes by developing suitable package for each situation through farmers participatory program.

RCPS - 9 Develop and evaluate production technology of indigenous cotton of NE Region - A R Raju, V N Waghmare, M K Meshram, K S Bhaskar, G Majumdar and S M Wasnik

Objectives:

• To identify the present constraints for improving the productivity of indigenous cotton and exploring the indigenous opportunities.
• To collect, evaluate, conserve and utilize indigenous cotton germplasm.
• To develop improved production technologies like identification of superior genotypes, appropriate plant populations, integrated plant nutrient management and need based pest management.
• To conserve soil and moisture in-situ in hill slopes for stabilizing crop productivity.
• To estimate the lime requirement and exploring the possibility of using rock phosphate, PSB and VA mycorrhiza.
• Demonstration of improved agro- technologies to progressing farmers.

RCPS - 10 Development of Bt trangsgenic diploid cotton against bollworm - S B Nadeshwar and A B Dongre

Objectives:

• Standardisation of protocol for induction of multiple shoots from shoot apex in popularly grown herbaceum and arboreum cottons.
• Standardisation of plant transformation techniques through Agrobacterium via shoot apex culture.
• Confirmation of gene integration.
• Confirmation of gene expression.

RCPS-11 Impact of tillage, land treatment and residue management on soil health and crop productivity of rainfed cotton based systems- Blaise and G Majumdar

Objectives:

• To determine the tillage requirement for cotton and cotton based system.
• To identify suitable land configuration practices to overcome drainage problem in cotton and cotton based system.
• To study the effect of organic residue incorporation and green manuring for improving the soil fertility and economizing inorganic fertilisers.
• To evaluate the impact of tillage, land treatment and organic residue management on soil health (Physico-chemical and hydrological characteristics) and crop productivity.

RCPS ROPS-10: Identification of research gaps in inter-cropping systems under rainfed conditions in India.

RFIVLP-15:Technology assessment and refinement cotton based production system in Nagpur district through IVLP.