Cotton Production Touches All Time High
New Promising Cotton Varieties Identified
ICAR 15 May 2006
The cotton production in the country has touched an all
time high during 2004-05 with a record production of 243.0 lakh bales
(1 bale = 170 kg). The productivity of cotton has also shown significant
growth with 463 kg/ha during 2004-05 compared to 399 kg/ha during 2003-04
when the production was 179 lakh bales.
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research has identified two hybrids
HHH 287 and HD 324 for Haryana and one variety MCU 13 for Tamil Nadu.
These varieties have been identified in the Group Meeting of All India
Coordinated Cotton Improvement Project held recently at University of
Agricultural Sciences at Dharwad (Karnataka).
Two cotton hybrids namely, HHH 287 and HD 324 are suitable for crop rotation
with wheat in Haryana. HHH 287 has recorded a mean seed cotton yield of
2045 kg/ha with a yield potential of 3500 kg/ha. Cotton variety MCU 13
is a suitable for cultivation in winter-irrigated areas of Tamil Nadu.
It has recorded a mean seed cotton yield of 1700 kg/ha in various trials
and has the potentiality to yield up to 3500 kg/ha.
HHH 287 is a genetic male sterility (GMS) system based intra-hirsutum
hybrid developed by the Chowdhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University,
Hisar (Haryana). The hybrid is suitable for cultivation in the irrigated
tracts of Haryana. It has medium height (150-160 cm), medium boll weight
(4 g) and early duration of 160-170 days. It has field resistance to cotton
leaf curl virus disease. It has a ginning outturn of 34 per cent. With
a medium staple of 27.8 mm and fibre strength of 22.4 g/tex, it can spin
up to 40s count. It can replace the existing hybrids LHH 144 and HHH 223.
HD 324 is a G.arboreum variety developed by the Chowdhary Charansingh
Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar. HD 324 has recorded a mean seed
cotton yield of 1866 kg/ha with a yield potential of 3000 kg/ha. It is
suitable for April planting for irrigated areas of Haryana. It has tolerant
to bollworm and leaf curl virus disease. It has a high ginning outturn
of 40 per cent and can replace HD 123 in Haryana.
MCU 13 is an extra long staple G.hirsutum variety is developed by Tamil
Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu). It is a multiple
cross derivative with wide adaptation. It has a short duration of 150
to 155 days. With a 2.5 per cent span length of 30.3 mm and fibre strength
of 22.6 g/tex, it is capable of spinning up to 50 s count. It can replace
varieties MCU 5 and MCU 12. It has recorded mean seed cotton yield of
17.0 q/ha in various trials and has the potential to yield up to 35 q/ha.
Gujarat (73 lakh bales), Maharashtra (52 lakh bales) and Andhra Pradesh
(32.50 lakh bales) are the leading cotton producer states in the country.
In terms of productivity Tamil Nadu (658 kg/ha) is the leading state followed
by Gujarat (651 kg/ha) and Punjab (551 kg/ha). The meeting reported that,
in general, favourable weather conditions and manageable pest situation
prevailed throughout the cotton growing states of the country. No epidemic
situation due to pests and diseases was reported from any part of the
country. With favourable weather, low pest profile and good technology,
the production during the current year is also expected to be around 242.5
lakh bales.
Cotton is grown in India in three distinct agroclimatic regions namely,
Northern region where cotton is grown under irrigation in alluvial soils;
central region where it is predominantly rainfed and grown in Vertisols
or black soils and the Southern region where cotton is predominantly reinfed
and grown in Vertisols and red soils.
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