Cotton Crop Details for Exam

Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fibre that develops around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium in the mallow family Malvaceae in a boll or protective casing. The fibre is almost entirely made of cellulose, with traces of wax, fat, pectin, and water. The cotton bolls will speed up the dissemination of the seeds in their natural environment. Native to tropical and subtropical regions of the world, including the Americas, Africa, Egypt, and India, the plant is a shrub. Mexico has the most varieties of wild cotton, with Australia and Africa coming in second and third. Both the Old and New Worlds independently domesticated cotton.

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About Cotton

In order to create a soft, breathable, and long-lasting textile, the fibre is most frequently spun into yarn or thread. Cotton was first used for fabric in prehistoric times, as evidenced by the discovery of fabric remnants from the Indus Valley civilization and Peru that date to 6000 BC and 5th millennium BC, respectively. Although cotton has been grown since antiquity, it wasn’t until the cotton gin’s development that the cost of manufacturing was brought down, making cotton the most extensively used natural fabric for apparel today. Current estimates for world production are about 25 million tonnes or 110 million bales annually, accounting for 2.5% of the world’s arable land. India is the world’s largest producer of cotton. The United States has been the largest exporter for many years.

History of Cotton

The Neolithic site of Mehrgarh, located at the base of the Bolan Pass in ancient India, presently in Balochistan Pakistan, contains the earliest evidence of cotton usage in the Old World, dating to 5500 BC and preserved in copper beads. Cotton may have been a significant export from the Bronze Age Indus Valley civilization, as fragments of cotton textiles have been discovered at Mohenjo-Daro and other locations. During the first seven centuries of the Christian era, cotton was grown and spun by Egyptians. The Islamic world produced the earliest distinct depictions of the spinning wheel in the eleventh century. The spinning wheel may have been brought to India from Iran under the Delhi Sultanate because the oldest clear mention of one in the country dates to 1350. India produced more cotton during the Mughal Empire. Agrarian reforms were brought about by the Mughals, who also instituted a new revenue structure that was slanted in favour of higher-value cash crops. The production of cotton textiles was the Mughal Empire’s main manufacturing sector. In the first half of the eighteenth century, India accounted for 25% of the world’s textile commerce. The most significant manufactured items in international trade throughout the 18th century were textiles made of Indian cotton. The province of Bengal Subah served as the most significant location for the production of cotton.

Cotton Climate Requirements

A prolonged period without frost, a lot of heat, and lots of sunlight are necessary for the growth of cotton. It favours warm, humid weather. The germination rate of cotton seeds will be low if the soil temperature is less than 60°F (15°C). The optimal air temperature for active growth is between 70 and 100°F (21 and 37°C). Extremely high temperatures of 100°F are undesirable. The normal cotton plant, however, can endure temperatures as high as 110°F (43°C) for short times without suffering any harm, however, this also relies on the humidity levels. We shall not experience frequent rains during the maturing (summer) and harvesting days in order to successfully grow cotton plants (during autumn).

Being a tropical plant of an arid origin, cotton needs at least 500 mm of mean annual rainfall that is evenly distributed. Moderate rainfall is beneficial during the vegetative phase, but severe rains will degrade cotton quality later on. Its growth is favoured by nighttime rain and daylight. The shedding of buds and bolls is accentuated by heavy rainfall or moisture stress during flowering and fruiting. Fungus infection is caused by high atmospheric humidity. Good quality lint is ensured by a dry period during the ripening and boll bursting periods. Cloudiness has a negative impact on boll setting and growth, while a lot of sunshine is beneficial for cotton output. Heavy bud and boll loss occurs during cloudy weather that lasts for 2 to 8 days. Day neutralism is demonstrated by Cotton. Low photosynthetic efficiency results from reduced growth, fruiting, and an increase in anthocyanin content in leaves due to reduced light.

Cotton Soil Requirements

Around the world, cotton is grown on a range of soil types. Cotton is best grown in deep, fertile soil that has a sufficient amount of humus, a high water holding capacity, and effective internal drainage. Cotton is sensitive to high levels of moisture and waterlogging. It is typically planted in rainfed environments on soils with high water holding capacities, which improve internal drainage and increase yield. It is grown on a range of soil types, from sandy to sandy loam and clay loams, where irrigation is available. Because cotton is a deeply rooted crop, soil depths of less than 60 cm are not ideal. A pH of 7.0 to 8.0 is regarded as ideal, and neutral to slightly alkaline soils are excellent for cotton growth For successful cotton farming, a soil pH of 5.3 is required. Only while the crop is germinating and early in its growth is cotton vulnerable to salinity. A mature crop is quite resistant to salinity. The most common soil types in India for growing cotton are red (Alfisols), alluvial (Inceptisols), mixed red and black soil, and sandy to sandy loams (Entisols and Inceptisols) in the northern zone, black soils (vertisols) in the central, and sandy to sandy loams (Entisols and Inceptisols) in the southern zone.

Cotton Farming Techniques

Cotton sowing season varies greatly from region to region and is often early (April to May) in northern India and later as we move down south (monsoon based in the southern zone). The rain-fed crop is sown in June-July as the monsoon begins, whereas the irrigated crop is sown from March to May. Following the harvest of the wheat in the north zone, pre-sowing irrigation is carried out. The land is prepared by working it with tractor-drawn tools, then it is levelled and planked before being divided into ridges for sowing. Deep ploughing is done once every four years in the central and southern regions of India, where cotton is a rainfed crop. Prior to the start, the field is repeatedly harrowed using a blade harrow. In drylands, sowing is done on ridges and furrows to control weeds and conserve moisture.

Cotton is sown either manually or using a seed drill pulled by a tractor or bullock. In rainfed locations, hand-dibbling of seeds at specified spacing is a frequent method, especially for hybrids. This technique guarantees proper plant support, uniform geometry, and seed preservation. This is currently the primary method of sowing Bt. hybrids. Water conservation, reduced soil erosion, and increased production are all benefits of growing cotton along ridges across slopes. Although irrigation by furrow or an alternate furrow technique is more efficient and water efficient, cotton is typically flood-irrigated. In particular, drip irrigation is growing in popularity among hybrids grown in the central and southern zones. Either a native plough or a blade harrow with a three-tipped hoe performs inter-cultivation on a fairly frequent basis. Inter-cultivation not only slows weed growth but also improves soil aeration and soil moisture retention in crops sown via broadcasting. Weeds are removed using one or two hand hoeings.

Cotton Physiology

Physiological details are provided below for the 4 different species of cotton grown in India:

Gossypium arboreum

It is a 1.5 to 2.0 m tall perennial shrub with many branches or an annual suburb. Young leaves and twigs of this plant are pubescent. A trilocular, tapering boll with noticeable oil glands is the fruit. Small and abundant, with 6 to 17 seeds per loculus. The roots of seeds are well-developed, have short, dense hairs, and can withstand dryness.

Gossypium herbaceum

It is a 1 to 1.5 m tall sub-shrub with rigid, thick stems and leaves that are arranged horizontally. Infrequently glabrous and sparsely hairy are leaves and twigs. Round, three or four-lobed, and beaked, the fruit or boll has 11 to 10 seeds per loculus. Lint and short fuzz cover seeds. In India, herbaceums cover over 21% of the terrain.

Gossypium hirsutum

These are referred to as upland cotton, and they make up around 90% of the present global crop. One to five metres tall, this is a tiny annual shrub. The stem is normally green or brown with leaves and branches glabrous to thickly heavy. Large leaves have three to five lobes on each side. Round, 3 to 5 lobular, and with 5 to 7 seeds per loculus, the boll. Numerous hairs and a dense fuzz cover seeds.

Gossypium barbodense

It is a 1 to 3 m tall perennial shrub or annual sub-shrub. Leaves and twigs are covered in long, grey hairs or are glabrous. Strongly lobed colour leaf leaves Bolls contain 5 to 8 seeds per loculus and is big, rounded, and bold. Seeds lack any fuzz and are bare. The lint contributes 8% of the total cotton production and has an unusually long staple length (>30 mm), making it of the highest quality. This is used for high-end textiles.

Cotton Crop Development

Indeterminate plants like cotton have overlapping vegetative and reproductive growth periods that are difficult to distinguish from one another. The length of the various phases varies according to variety, latitude, climate, and management techniques. These phases can be generally classified as:

Germination Phase

Germination and emergence are finished in 4 to 7 days under ideal environmental conditions.

Early Vegetative Phase

Rapid root development, the main stem that grows slowly, and the appearance of the first genuine leaves are all characteristics of this phase. The development of the main stem and the differentiation of the earliest monopodial branches come next.

Squaring

Between 35 and 70 days post germination, depending on the type, the area, and crop management, the first square (flower bud) appears. Up to maturity, squaring is still going on.

Flowering

About 20 to 35 days after the first square appears, the first flower appears, and depending on the amount of soil moisture, flowering may last for up to 60 days. The peak flowering phase, however, lasts between 70 and 100 days following germination.

Boll Development

This time frame starts with blossoming and lasts till maturity. Bolls grow to 90% of their total size in the first 15 to 18 days following bloom pollination. In the boll, the lint fibres fully extend after 21 to 24 days. Due to the cellulose deposition, the cell wall thickens throughout the following phase in roughly the same direction. The fibres eventually dry up and become suitable for harvesting when the boll matures and cracks along the locules.

Cotton Crop Diseases

Cotton Growing Environments

In practically all well-drained soils, cotton can be grown. However, deep, well-drained sandy loam soils with ample clay, organic matter, and a reasonable amount of nitrogen and phosphorus are thought to be the best for producing high yields. The highest yields are frequently attained on loamy soils with high calcium carbonate content. In general, a mild slope aids in water drainage and is occasionally desired.

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Cotton Economy

With yearly production of roughly 18.53 million tonnes and 17.14 million tonnes, respectively, India and China are the leading producers of cotton as of 2017. The majority of this production is used by their respective textile industries. $12 billion is thought to be the estimated value of all international trade. Despite China now providing the highest overall level of support for the cotton sector, the United States’ 25,000 cotton growers receive a significant $2 billion annual subsidy. To safeguard the interests of cotton farmers, the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, sets the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of seed cotton (kapas) each year prior to the start of the cotton season (October to September).

Top 10 Cotton Producing Countries

1. China
2. India
3. United States of America
4. Brazil
5. Pakistan
6. Uzbekistan
7. Turkey
8. Argentina
9. Burkina Faso
10. Benin

Top Cotton Producing States in India

While Gujarat is currently the largest cotton-producing state in India, Maharashtra doesn’t lag far behind and often topples the rank of Gujarat, meanwhile other states are catching up.

1. Gujarat
2. Maharashtra
3. Telangana
4. Karnataka
5. Andhra Pradesh
6. Haryana
7. Madhya Pradesh
8. Rajasthan
9. Punjab
10. Tamil Nadu

Indian Cotton Growing Zones

There are ten significant cotton-growing states in India, and these states are further classified into three zones: the north zone, the central zone, and the south zone.

In addition to these ten States, Orissa in the East has seen a rise in cotton farming. Additionally, cotton is grown in a few isolated locations in non-traditional States including Tripura, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh.

Cotton as a Food

The only way cotton serves as food is through the utilisation of the oil of its seed. Cooking oil made from the seeds of cotton plants of several species, which are farmed for cotton fibre, animal feed, and oil, is known as cottonseed oil. Comparable to other oilseeds like sunflower seeds, cotton seeds have an oil-bearing kernel encased in a tough outer hull; during processing, the oil is removed from the kernel. Because of its flavour stability, cottonseed oil is utilised in items like salad dressing, mayonnaise, and salad oil.

Cottonseed Oil Nutritional Information

Cottonseed Oil Health Effects

Cooking with cottonseed oil and using it as a natural cure for some skin issues are two uses for the oil. Cottonseed oil, like olive oil, contains a lot of polyunsaturated fat, which can help raise HDL (the good cholesterol) and lower LDL (the bad cholesterol). However, it also contains a lot of saturated fat, which raises the risk of heart disease and has the opposite impact on cholesterol. To get rid of gossypol, cottonseed oil needs to be refined. The oil’s yellow hue is a result of this naturally produced toxin, which also shields the plant from pests. Sometimes, pesticides are made from unrefined cottonseed oil. Additionally, this toxin has been connected to liver damage and infertility.

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