Cotton is one of the most important fiber and cash crop of not only India but of the entire world. It plays a dominant role in the industrial and agricultural economy of the country. It provides the basic raw material to cotton textile industry. In India it provides direct livelihood to 6 million farmers and about 40-50 million people are employed in cotton trade and its processing. In addition, cotton is a water thirsty crop and around 6% of the water for irrigation in India is used for cotton cultivation. In India, cotton is grown on a large scale in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.

It is important crop of Maharashtra. In 2012-2013, near about 42lakh hectare area was under cotton cultivation. 

It can be grown on all type of soil having pH ranges between 6 to 8. Deep, friable, well drained and fertile soil are good for crop cultivation. Sandy, saline or water logged soils are not suitable for cotton cultivation. The depth of soil should not be less than 20-25cm.

LRA 5166: Ready to harvest in 160-170days. Gives average yield of 8-9qtl/acre.

Fule 688: Ready to harvest in 150-160days. Gives average yield of 9-10qtl/acre.

JLH 168: Ready to harvest in 150-160days. Gives average yield of 10-10.8qtl/acre.

H 10: Hybrid. Ready to harvest in 160-170days. Gives average yield of 10-11qtl/acre.

DCH 32, Fule 388

Kaveri, Jadoo: Ready to harvest in 150days. Gives average yield of 12qtl/acre.

Jackpot: BG II, ready to harvest in 170-180days. Gives average yield of 10-12qtl/acre.

PHH-316: Ready to harvest in 150-160days. Gives average yield of 5-6qtl/acre, it is tolerance to drought.

NHH- 44: Ready to harvest in 150-160days. Give average yield of 5qtl/acre. It is resistant to Bacterial blight.

Maruti BT, Ajit 11: Medium duration variety with thick leaf. Ready to harvest in 160-170days.

Super Maruti: Resistant to Jassids, Helicoverpa and spodoptera. Tolerant to other sucking pests.

Mallika-207: High yielding and late maturing variety. Suitable for deep black soil. Under irrigated condition suitable for all soil type. Tolerant to sucking pest.

PA-255: Ready to harvest in 150 days. Gives average yield 600kg/acre. 

NH-545: Ready to harvest in 150-160 days. Gives average yield of 640kg/acre.

NH-452: Ready to harvest in 150-160 days. Gives average yield of 600kg/acre. It is resistant to sucking pests, tolerant todrought.

Private companies variety

Bramha, Banni, Mallika, Kanak 954, Tulasi 4

Rashi 2, Shakati 9, Sai ,Rashi 656

Ankur 9, Jai, Ajit 11, Ajit 155

Varun, Durga, Ajit 177, Ajit 199

Kashinath, Ankur 1951, MRC 7981

Other states varieties

Ankur 226BG, PCH 406 BT, Sigma Bt, SDS 1368 Bt, SDS 9Bt, NAMCOT 402 Bt, GK 206 Bt, 6317 Bt, 6488 Bt, MRC 7017 BG II, MRC 7031 BG II, NCS 145 BG II , ACH 33-2 BG II, JKCH 1050 Bt, MRC 6025 Bt, MRC 6029 Bt, NCS 913 Bt, NCS 138 Bt, RCH 308 Bt, RCH 314 Bt.

It requires thorough land preparation for good germination and growth of crop. After removal of Rabi crop, irrigate field immediately then take ploughing of land with MB plough followed by planking. One deep ploughings is necessary followed by 2-3 harrowing. Carry out deep ploughing once in three years, it will help to keep check on perennial weeds also kill various soil borne pest and diseases.

Time of sowing

Under irrigated conditions, complete sowing in May month. And for rainfed areas, complete sowing with onset of monsoon. 

Spacing

For varieties, use spacing of 90cmx60cm. For Hybrid and BT varieties, use spacing of 90x90cm for medium soils and 90x120cm for heavy soils.

Few gaps arise due to failure of seed germination and mortality of seedling. To overcome this gap filling it is necessary, it must be filled by sowing 2-3water soaked seeds/hill out of these keep only one healthy seedling after germination. Two weeks after sowing the weak/diseased/damaged seedlings should be removed by keeping a healthy seedling/hill.

Sowing Depth

Sowing should be done at depth of 4-5 cm.

Method of sowing

For sowing use seed drill for Desi cotton while dibbling of seed is done in case of hybrids and Bt cotton. 

Seed Rate

Seed rate varies with variety, growing zones, irrigation etc. 

For hybrids, use seed rate of 1.4-1.6kg and for local varieties use seed rate of 4-4.8kg/acre for per acre land.

Seed Treatment

Seed of cotton is covered by short fibre in American cotton. Before sowing, removal of this necessary as it will make difficulty for sowing. It can be removed by chemical and Non-chemical method. 

In Non chemical method, seeds are soaked in water overnight, and then next day rubbed with cowdung and wood ash or saw dust then dried in shed before sowing.

In chemical method, Depending upon the fibers on the seeds, mix the 400gm concentrated Sulphuric acid(Industrial grade) in per 4kg seeds for American cotton and 300gm for 3kg Desi cotton seed for 2-3minutes. It will burn all the fibers of seeds. Th 10Ltr of water in container, stir well and drained out the water. Wash the seeds for three times with normal water and then lime water (Sodium Bicarbonate@50gm/10Ltr of water) for 1min. Give one more washing then dry the seeds in shed. 

Do not use Metal or wood container instead use plastic or earthen pot and use plastic glove by operator for chemical method.

To protect from sucking pest attacks (upto 15-20days) treat seeds with Imidacloprid (Confidor) or Thiamethoxam (CRUISER)@ 5-7gm/kg of seeds.

Fertilizer Requirement (kg/acre)

Nutrient Requirement (kg/acre)

Judicious use of fertilizers, irrigation and clean cultivation will prevent early buildup of pests and help to conserve natural enemies of pests. To enhance subsidiary growth to have maximum number of boll bearing branches, cut the top of growing point of main branch at around 5 foot height. 

Depending upon availability, apply 8-10 cartloads of well decomposed cow dung at time of land preparation.  

Apply fertilizer dose on the basis of soil test result. In absence, apply Nitrogen@40-50kg (Urea@90kg-110kg), Phosphorus@20-30kg (SSP@125-190kg) and Potash@20-32kg (MoP@30-50kg).

Apply, 20% of Nitrogen, full dose of Phosphorus, Potash at time of seed sowing. Distribute remaining amount of Nitrogen in two equal parts and apply on 30th, 60thday after sowing. 

WSF: 80-100days after sowing, if no or poor flowering is observed then to enhanced flowering spray with Multi micronutrient fertilizer(Micnelf-32)@750gm/acre/150Ltr of water. In case bt varieties to improve yield, spray with 13:0:45@10gm or Potash@5gm/Ltr of water at evening time on 85, 95 & 105th days after sowing. Also to get higher yield, take alternate sprays of Potassium@10gm/Ltr and DAP@20gm/Ltr (2-3 sprays each at 15days interval from first blooming). Sometime flower and square drop is observed then to control flower drop and to obtain good yield spray with Planofix(NAA) @4ml and Micnelf-16 or 32@120gm, Magnesium Sulphate@150gm/15Ltr water. Due to bad weather effect boll drop is seen then to control, spray 00:52:34@100gm+Humic acid(>12%)@30ml+Sticker@6ml in 15 Ltr water thrice at 10days interval. Leaf reddening is deficiency observed now a day. It cause mainly due to lack of nutrient management. It can be corrected by proper fertilizer management. For that take Foliar spray of MgSO4@1kg, followed by Urea@2kg in 100Ltr water.

Recommended time for irrigations is given below in the table:-

Cotton required four to six irrigation depending upon rainfall intensity. Give first Irrigation to the crop four to six week after sowing. And remaining irrigation at interval of two or three weeks. Never let water to stand in younger plants. Do not let the crop to suffer for want of water during flowering and fruiting to avoid the shedding of flowers and bolls. Give last irrigation to the crop when 33% of bolls are opened and after that there is no need of more water through irrigation.

Whenever salty water has to use for irrigation, the water should be get tested from authenticated laboratory and as per their recommendation, Gypsum or Pyrite may be added. In Drought Condition, alternate furrow irrigation and use of micro irrigation system (wherever feasible) will be of immense help in saving irrigation water.

Due to wide spaced crop weeds pose serious threat. A weed free period of 50-60 days from sowing is necessary for good yield otherwise it may cause 60-80% reduction in yields. Manual, mechanical and chemical methods of weed control in combination is necessary for effective weed control. Carry out first manual hoeing 5-6 weeks after sowing or before first irrigation. Remaining hoeing should be done after each irrigation. Do not allow congress grass to grow around cotton fields, as they increase the possibility of mealy bug infestation.

To control weeds after sowing but before its emergence take spray of Pendimethalin @ 25-33 ml/10 Ltr of water. Apply Paraquat (Gramoxone) 24% WSC @ 500 ml/acre or Glyphosate @1 Ltr/acre in 100 Ltr of water, 6 to 8 week after sowing when crop is 40-45 cm in height. Crop is highly sensitive to the 2,4-D weedicide. Its vapours can cause serious injury to cotton even if sprayed in adjoining fields. Spraying of herbicide should be carried out either in morning hour or in evening hours.

• Diseases and their control:

Fusarium wilt: Plants become stunted, yellow, followed by defoliation. Yellowing first occurs around leaf edges and advances inward. Infected plants fruit earlier and produce smaller bolls. It causes a blackening and discoloration just found in a ring just beneath the bark. It affect at all stage of crop.

Use resistant variety to control Fusarium wilt. Avoid continuous planting of cotton in same field. Follow proper crop rotation. Provide good drainage. Treat seed with Trichoderma viride formulation @ 4 gm/kg of seed. To control prepare the solution of Thiophanate Methyl @10 gm and Urea each of 50 gm/10 litre of water and apply near base of plants.

Alternaria Leaf spot: Small, pale to brown, round or irregular spots of circular to semi-circular size with broad margins appear on leaves. Affected leaves become dry and get fall off. It may causes cankers on stem. Infection is spread to boll, then rotting of boll occurred afterwards they get fall off. Plants stressed by drought, nutrient deficiency and other pests are more susceptible to the disease.

To control this disease, spray Tebuconazole@1 ml/litre or Trifloxystrobin+Tebuconazole@ 0.6 g/litre, on 60th, 90th and 120 days after sowing. If infestation of disease is observed in field, spray with Copper Oxychloride or Captan@500 gm/200 Ltr of water per acre or 12% Carbendazim + 63% WP Mancozeb@25 gm/10 Ltr water.

Cercospora leaf spot: Circular red lesions on leaves which enlarge and turn white or grey in the centre; lesions often have a pattern of concentric rings and possess a red margin. Dark grey spore masses form in the centres of the lesions making them appear dark grey.

If infestation of disease is observed in field, spray crop with Copper Oxychloride@3 gm/litre or Mancozeb@2.5 gm/ltr, 3 to 4 times in every 15 days interval.

Anthracnose: small, reddish or light colored diseased spots are observed on plant leaves. Wounds are form on stem and thus plant get weaken. It attack boll at any stage and infection spread to lint and seed. The bolls affected by the disease have small, water-soaked, circular, slightly depressed, reddish brown spots.

Before sowing, treat seeds with Captan or Carbendazim @3-4 gm/kg of seeds. Avoid water logging in field. If infection observed, remove affected plant and destroyed them away from field and take Spraying with Carbendazim @1 gm/lit of water.

Root rot: Sudden and complete wilting of plants. Leaves give yellow appearance. Affected plants can be easily pulled out. Except the tap root, few secondary roots are fresh which holds the plant and other roots are decayed.

Before sowing apply neem cake@60 kg/acre to the soil. Treat seeds with T. viride @ 4 gm/kg of seeds to reduce root rot incidence. If infection is observed do spot drenching of Carbendazim@1 gm/lit at the base of affected plants as well as surrounding healthy plants.

• Pests and their control:

American Bollworm: Eggs are laid singly on both upper and lower leaf surfaces. Newly hatched larva is yellowish white with brown black head. Later, body color changes to darker and after that changes to brownish. Due to infestation of this pest, circular holes are observed on boll. Presence of granular faecal pellets outside the bore hole. Single larva can damage 30-40 bolls. To check infestation use light traps, pheromone traps.

Avoid continuous cropping of cotton. Avoid mono-cropping. Growing of less preferred crops like green gram, black gram, soybean, castor, sorghum etc., along with the cotton as inter-crop or border crop to reduce the pest infestation. Before sowing of cotton, remove crop residue of previous crops. Use optimum quantity of water and avoid excess use of nitrogen fertilizer. Use resistive varieties. Don’t use synthetic Pyrethroids to control American Bollworm. In case of severe infection Spray any one from Cypermethrin @ 1 ml/Ltr of water or Deltamethrin @1 ml/Ltr of water or Fenvalerate @1 ml/Ltr or Lambda cyhalothrin @1 ml/Ltr of water on affected crops, depending upon availability. For effective control of boll worms, never spray pesticides of single group more than once.

Pink boll worm: Young larva is of white color and late instar is vary in color ranging from almost black, brown or green to pale or pink. To monitor adult moths activity, use pheromone trap. If infestation is observed do dusting of Carbaryl 5%D@10 kg/acre. In case of severe infestation, spray with Triazophos 40 EC@300 ml/acre.

Jassids: Nymphs and adults of jassids suck sap from underside leaves and causing of curling. Leaves turn red or brown then dry up and shed. Apply Carbofuran 3 G@14 kg or Phorate 10 G@5 kg/acre near to root zone in moist soil. When upper canopy show yellowing and curling of leaves on 50% of plants, take spraying of insecticides. Spray Imidacloprid 17.8 SL@40-50 ml or Thiamethoxam @40 gram or Acetamiprid @75 gm/acre/200 liters of water.

Spotted Bollworm: Larva is of dull green, black bristles color and having lines of black spots on body. Due to incidence of bollworm, drying and drooping of terminal shoots during pre–flowering stage is observed. It create holes on boll and then causes rotting of boll.

If infestation is observed, to control spray with Profenophos 50 EC@500 ml/200 Ltr of water/acre.

Tobacco Caterpillar: It attacks on crop in group and Scrapping the epidermal layer, leaving the skeleton of veins of leaf. During severe attack only stem and side shoots will be standing. Eggs of tobacco caterpillar are of golden brown and appears in masses. Larva is of greenish color.

Use light trap to know intensity of pest. Set up the sex pheromone trap at 5/acre. Do manual inspection for pest. Larva are found in cluster, collect and destroyed early stage larva also grown up caterpillar. In case of high infestation spray any one of the insecticides, Chlorpyriphos 20 EC@1 Ltr/acre or Chlorantraniliprole 18.5% SC@50 ml/acre or Diflubenzuron 25%WP@100-150 gm/acre. Spraying of insecticides should be done either in the early morning or in the evening.

Mealy bugs: Found under surface of leaves in clusters and secrete wax like substance. Due to honey dew like secretion, sooty mould is developed and affected plant gives sick, black appearance.

Grow Maize, bajra and jawar as barrier crops. Do not throw mealy bug infested uprooted plants in water channels or vacant spaces, instead burn them. Do not allow congress grass to grow around cotton fields, as they increase the possibility of attack by mealy bug. To control spread of mealy bugs in newer areas, avoid movement of human beings or animals from infected area to healthy crop. At initial stage, Neem seed kernel extract (NSKE 5%) 50 ml/ltr + Detergent powder@1 gm/ltr can be sprayed as spot application on infested plants. In case of severe infestation, spray Profenophos@500 ml/acre in 150 Ltr of water. Mix one teaspoon washing powder in each 15 Ltr tank Or Quinalphos25 EC@5 ml/liter of water or Chlorpyriphos20 EC @3 ml/liter of water.

White fly: Nymph are of yellow oval while adult are of yellow body covered with a white waxy bloom. They suck the sap from leaves, which lead into poor photosynthesis. It also act as a medium of transferring leaf curl virus disease. In severe infestation defoliation, shedding of boll and poor opening of boll is observed. Developed sooty mould and plant give sick, black appearance.

Avoid continuous growing of cotton in same field. Adopting crop rotation with non-preferred hosts such as sorghum, ragi, maize etc., Avoid excess vegetative growth for that avoid excess use of nitrogen. Do timely sowing of crop. Keep field clean. Cultivation of most preferred alternate host crops like eggplant, okra, tomato, tobacco and sunflower may be avoided. Install yellow sticky traps for monitoring white fly (2 traps/acre). If infestation white flies is observed then to control, Spray Triazophos @3 ml/Ltr or Thiacloprid @4.5 gm/Ltr water or Acetamiprid@4 gm or 75 WP Acephate@800 gm/200 Ltr water or Imidachloprid@40 ml/acre dissolved in 200 litre of water or Thiamethoxam@40 gm/acre using 200 litre water.

Thrips: Both nymphs and adults lacerate & feed the sap from under surface of leaves. Upper side of leaf turns brown and lower side becomes silvery white.

Seed treatment with imidacloprid 70 WS@7 ml/kg protect the crop from aphids,leaf-hoppers and thrips up to 8 weeks. Spray any one of the insecticides like Methyl demeton 25 EC@160 ml/acre, Buprofezin 25%SC@350 ml/acre, Fipronil 5% SC@200-300 ml/acre, Imidacloprid 70% WG @10-30 ml/acre, Thiamethoxam 25% WG 30 gm/acre in 200 Ltr of water per acre.

Leaf Reddening

Initially observed in mature leaves then spread throughout canopy. Leaf reddening can be corrected by proper fertilizer management. Take Foliar spray of MgSO4@1kg, followed by Urea@2kg/100Ltr water

Nitrogen Deficiency

Plant growth get stunted and leaves become light green color. Lower leaves show yellowing. In severe conditions, leaves get brown and dry.

Phosphorus Deficiency

Younger Leaves show more dark green appearance. Older leaves become small in size and developed purple and red pigmentation. 

Potash Deficiency

Due to potash deficiency, shading of leaves is observed also boll opening is not proper. Leaves get curled and become dry.

Zinc Deficiency

Growth get affected and plant become stunted. Terminal buds show drying off followed by distorted tips or young leaves.

Picking of bolls should be done when bolls are fully mature. Avoid picking of wet bolls, pick cotton free from dry leaves trash. Damaged boll should be picked separately and discarded for seed purpose. The first and last picking are usually of low quality and should not be mixed with rest of the produce to fetch better price. Pick boll should be clean and dry to get good price. Do picking when there is no dew. Picking should be regularly done after every 7-8 days to avoid losses incurred due to fall of the cotton on ground. Delay in picking leads to falling of cotton on the ground which results in deterioration of quality. Harvest the American cotton at the interval of 15-20days and Desi cotton at 8-10 days interval. The picked kapas should be properly cleaned before taking to the market for sale.

After harvesting, Let the sheep, goats and other animals feed in the cotton field so that these animal can eat bollworm affected bolls and leaves. After last picking, remove the sticks along with roots. Bury remaining plant debris using furrow turning plough as sanitary measure. Before stacking bundles of sticks dislodge the burs and unopened bolls by beating them on ground or pluck them and burn them to kill larvae of boll worms. Two row tractor operated cotton stalk uprooter can be used for uprooting the stalks remained after harvest.