Constraints Analysis of cotton in India

The following constraints were identified for the three major cotton growing areas of our country.

North Zone - Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana

  • Non-availability of canal water on time

  • Soils have become saline and crust prone and the germination of cotton is further hampered by high soil temperature in April-May

  • High cotton yields and cropping intensity result in heavy nutrient exhaustion and development of secondary and micro-nutrient deficiency

  • Rank vegetative growth aggravator by the ambient soil, water and climatic factors adversely affecting yield realization

  • Sudden wilt due to physiological reasons during September

  • Excessive reliance on pesticides

  • Weed infestation due to poor plant stand and continuous rains

  • Deterioration in soil health

  • Inappropriate tillage and residue management

  • Incidence of cotton leaf curl virus disease

  • Growing of non-descript genotypes

  • Helicoverpa incidence on the rise.

Central Zone - Madhya pradesh, Maharastra and Gujarat

More than 70 per cent of the total cotton area is under rainfed conditions, concentrated mainly in central and south India, where the productivity is very low and erratic

  • Abundance of resource poor farmers who exhibit credit shyness

  • Majority of the cotton is grown on shallow and medium deep soils

  • Most of the rainfall is received during July and August in short and heavy spells resulting in high runoff and soil loss. Terminal drought during the boll development phase in shallow soils

  • Jassid and bollworms are the major pests of cotton in this zone

  • Resource poor farmers rely on credit based input service system in the zone

  • Risk induced credit shyness resulting in sub-optimal input use. Poor soil fertility, low organic matter, high P fixation


South Zone - Tamil nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka

  • The multiple varietal scenario creates problems in the production of adequate quantity of quality seeds and complicates the insect pest problems

  • Regular occurrence of cyclones in October-November in the coastal A.P.

  • Excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers leading to heavy pest incidence

  • Acute labour shortage in certain productive irrigated patches

  • Soils are sandy loams, with low water holding capacity

  • Excessive and indiscriminate use of pesticides

  • Non-availability of suitable cultivators for rice fallows in coastal A.P.