Precision Farming

COTTON
With Jain Technology™
Cotton Cultivation - Jain Technology™

Cotton is one of the important plant fibre used since the Intervals of plant growth and development from
beginning of civilization. India is growing cotton and Date of sowing date to;
manufacturing yarn and cloth from the very olden days. Sowing
True leaf Square Flower Open boll
India has been an important exporter in cotton since when
trading among countries started. Apr-01 27 74 98 156
Apr-15 25 68 89 145
Cotton is Gossypium sp. belonging to Malvaceae family.
The cultivated species; G. herbaceum and G. arboreum and Apr-29 23 63 81 141
G. hirsutum and G. barbedense. May-13 19 56 75 133
May-27 18 50 71 135
Habit of the Crop:
Cotton is a perennial crop which can be grown continuously Sunshine is vital to cotton and areas with more than 50%
like trees. It stays evergreen in tropical conditions and cloud cover is not suitable for cotton production.
produces continuously. However, all commercial production As for moisture availability cotton requires at least 500 mm
is grown as an annual crop which is planted every year, to of water to grow a crop of minimum acceptable yield. Yield
maintain high yields, and to keep the insect population under level is a function of water supply at successive growth
check by destroying all plant residues after each growing stages when other factors are optimum. With the adoption
season. Management of soil fertility & irrigation water will of drip irrigation, yields can be doubled with actual water use
play a major role in increasing Cotton productivity. halved.
Cotton Life Cycle:
Soil type and management:
The life cycle can be divided into 4 main stages:
Cotton can grow in any soil type. However highly clayey and
1. Germination to first true leaf very sandy soils are not suitable for high yields. The
2. First true leaf to first square management of drainage is critical in clayey soils to avoid
3. First square to opening of first flower water saturation and lack of oxygen. Cotton roots stop
4. First flower to end of boll opening functioning when soil oxygen falls below 10%. In sandy
Every stage of this cycle is affected by climate- temperature, soils shorter water holding duration makes frequent small
evaporation, precipitation or irrigation etc. and the very irrigations a necessity . Poor drainage in clayey soils also
complex interactions of these factors. results in K deficiency even when soil K is sufficient. Actually
with drip irrigation both these types of soils can be put for
Accumulated heat units decide the duration of each growth cotton cultivation.
stage and therefore the calendar time of each stage is
different for different sowing dates (see Table 1). Because
of this the cultivation practices can not be standardized
universally.
Table 1 – Relation between sowing date and crop duration in
Cotton. Duration of each growth stage of Cotton with
different dates of sowing, an Example:
Crop rotation: Planting season:
In drip irrigated situation using the same drip line a high value Actually Cotton can be grown in all three seasons.
crop like vegetables like Tomato, Chilly, Capsicum (short • Kharif (June-July),
duration), banana (long duration) etc. can be taken up as • Rabi (Sept.- Oct.) and
rotation crops.
• Summer (Jan-Feb).
Seedbed preparation: Rabi and Summer crops will give high quality lint. In irrigated
Soil should be plowed to a depth of 30-40 cm. Once in 3-4 cotton planting date is crucial. In case of delayed planting,
years a sub-soiler should be used to loosen up to a depth of the crop suffers increased pest attack and loss in yield.
70 cm. After plowing or discing a harrow should run to make
the soil level and friable without clods. In drip irrigated Timely sowing is critical for cotton:
cotton, seed-beds should not contain any clods that will Summer crop will usually have less pest problems. Still
obstruct moisture movement. sowing should be early as the temperatures will exceed 42
Sowing can be done on flat bed, ridges or on raised broad
0
C at boll opening time if sowing is delayed.
beds. Ridge or bed system will allow rapid soil drainage in • Kharif- Sowing before June 10.
heavier clay situations and maintenance of optimum • Rabi- Sowing before September 5
temperature for germination, which is in the range of 15 to • Summer- Sowing before Jan 5.
42 oC. By practising drip irrigation soil crusting can be
prevented which acts as a barrier for seedling emergence. Irrigation Management:
Cotton varieties: Drip method of irrigation is most suitable for Cotton:
• For irrigated Cotton production varieties from G. If water application method is precise and regular, an average
hirsutum or hybrids of G. hirsutum X G. hirsutum or of 4mm daily irrigation is sufficient for cotton. This precision
G. hirsuitum X G. barbedense are preferred for AP is achieved by adopting quality drip system. If drip is utilized
and southern states. properly precision irrigation can result up to 2.4kg lint/acre/
mm water used. i.e 120 days irrigation with average 4mm
DCH-32, Varalaxmi, Savita, Suvin, HB 224, MCU 5 daily will give about a ton lint per acre, provided manuring
are ideal for AP. and fertigation are followed strictly as per schedule and an
• For Mungari (May end sowing); IPM approach is adopted for pest control.
Aravinda, Srisailam, Pandarpur Mundari. For seed germination the field should be kept just below field
• For Late Kharif (Sowing in August) capacity by continuous operation of drip for 12-16 hours.
Raghavendra, Jayadhar, Narasimha, MCU 5, and
Irrigation Schedule:
LRA 5166. NHH 44, Nhh 390, JKHY-1.
As an example water requirement and irrigation requirement
Seeds: are worked out for one district using FAO data table for ETP
Certified seeds should only be used. 1 to 1.2 kg seed per and Crop factor.
acre is recommended. Seed should be treated with Thiram @ Water requirement and irrigation schedule for drip irrigated
2g/kg seed. Cotton:
Plant Spacing and drip line alignment:
Water Irrigation Irrigation
The recommended spacing for drip irrigated Cotton is as Avg Crop Canopy require- Efficiency require-
Season ETP Factor
follows: For heavy soils it is 3’ x 6’x 3’ (3200 plants/acre) Factor ment ment
mm/day of Drip
and for light soils it is 2’x 6’x 2’ (5000 plants/acre) as paired mm/acre l/acre/day
row to optimize the drip system cost. Extra seeds after Kharif
planting should be used to raise polybag seedlings for gap Jun 5.96 0.35 0.3 0.63 0.9 2279
filling. July 5.06 0.55 0.45 1.25 0.9 4561
The above spacing considers high canopy Indian hybrids. If Aug 4.1 0.75 0.65 2.00 0.9 7280
Puma based varieties or Hybrids, which have low canopies Sept 5.26 1 0.8 4.21 0.9 15327
are used the spacing between plants can be reduced to Oct 5.3 0.9 0.75 3.58 0.9 13030
1’(2’ x 6 x 1’) or (3’ x 6’ x 1’). Here also the space between Rabi
paired rows is not reduced because of the restriction imposed Sept 5.26 0.35 0.3 0.55 0.9 2012
by the lateral spacing which is also fixed at 1.82 m. Oct 5.3 0.55 0.45 1.31 0.9 4778
 Water Irrigation Irrigation (Saturn) 2 1.5 kg a.i/ha or Pendamethlin (Stomp) 2 1.5- 2.0
Avg kg a.i./ ha as pre-emergence spray.
Crop Canopy require- Efficiency require-
Season ETP Factor Factor ment ment
mm/day of Drip
mm/acre l/acre/day Fertigation:
Nov 4.63 0.75 0.6 2.08 0.9 7589 High yielding varieties of cotton require abundant quantities
Dec 3.96 1 0.8 3.17 0.9 11539 of nutrients. NPK and Mg are the major nutrients and Fe, B,
Jan 4.35 0.9 0.75 2.94 0.9 10695 S, and Zn are the microelements required by cotton.
Summer Though the NPK doses are determined after a soil analysis,
Jan 5.26 0.35 0.3 0.55 0.9 2012 in general Cotton requires 50 kg N, 30 kg P, and 35 Kg of K
Feb 5.53 0.55 0.5 1.52 0.9 5539 per acre. But in high-tech cultivation the NPK can be varied
Mar 6.54 0.75 0.7 3.43 0.9 12506 based on the target yield to be achieved. Thus in drip irrigated
Apr 7.6 1 0.85 6.46 0.9 23529 crop N upto 120 Kg per acre; P up to 60 kg/acre; and K up
May 8.26 0.9 0.8 5.95 0.9 21661 to 100kg/acre when applied will improve the yield many
The rainfall events are very erratic and therefore not adjusted fold.
on a daily basis. The general recommendation is that if rain
fall exceeds 10mm in any one day suspend drip irrigation for Fertigation schedule:
the next 3 to 4 days. 1. For normal fertilizer rates 50N: 30P: 35K per acre
(Urea 116 kg; SSP 188 kg and 60 kg MOP)
Drip layout and dripping schedule:
Apply all SSP as soil basal dressing before planting . Use
Urea ad MOP for fertigation.
Plant Spacing - 1.82 x 0.4m
20 kg Urea 7 kg /wk/acre for 3 weeks
x x 5-30 days
12 kg MOP 4 kg/wk/acre for 3 weeks
0.4m Cotton 60 kg Urea 15 Kg/wk/acre for 4 weeks
Plant 31-60 days
x x 15 kg MOP 3.75 kg/wk/acre for 4 weeks
Inline 1.82m 36 Kg Urea 12kg /wk/acre for 3 weeks
Tube 61-100 days
33 Kg MOP 6.6 kg/wk/acre for 5 weeks
x x
2. For High-tech production use 120N:60P:100K per
acre (Urea 280 kg; SSP 188 kg plus 58 kg
Phosphoric Acid; and 167 kg MOP)
1. Lateral to Lateral spacing 1.82m Apply all SSP as basal soil dose. Use Urea, Phosphoric acid
Dripper spacing 0.40 m and MOP for fertigation.
2. Total lateral /acre 2230m
50 kg Urea 2kg /day/acre for 25 days
Total no. drippers/acre 5575 5-30
days 1kg/day/acre for 20 days
20 kg MOP
Weeding and Interculture: (10-30 days)
Timely weeding is essential as cotton growth will be affected 150 kg Urea 5kg/day/acre for 30 days
by weeds. In a well prepared soil, use of drip irrigation will 31-60 days 50 kg MOP 1.7 kg/day/acre for 30 days
decrease weed germination as the wetted area is restricted. 45 kg H3PO4 1.5 kg/day/acre for 30 days
In the paired row system, the interspace between two pairs 61-100 79 Kg urea 2kg/day/acre for 40 days
can be easily intercultivated by small implements. days 97 kg MOP
Pre sowing soil incorporation of Basalin (Fluchloralin) 50 kg Urea 2kg /day/acre for 25 days
@ 1.25-1.5 a. i. /ha is effective. 5-30 days 1kg/day/acre for 20 days
Apply Lasso (Alachlor) @ 1.5- 2.0 Kg a. i. /ha or Benthiocarb 20 kg MOP
(10-30 days)
150 kg Urea 5kg/day/acre for 30 days
31-60
50 kg MOP 1.7 kg/day/acre for 30 days
days
45 kg H3PO4 1.5 kg/day/acre for 30 days
79 Kg urea 2kg/day/acre for 40 days
61-100 97 kg MOP 2.4 kg/day/acre for 40 days
days 1.3 kg/day/acre for the
13 kg H3PO4
first 10 days.

Secondary and Micronutrients for Cotton production:

Addition of Ca, Mg, Iron , Boron and Zinc are required in
locations where the soil shows deficiency of these minerals.
Pest and disease management:
Cotton production is often hampered by pests. Insect pests
are more detrimental to cotton. The different diseases and
insect pests and their control measures are listed in the
following tables for ready reference and action in the field.
IPM measures for Cotton:
• Clean cultivation and destruction of crop residues (leaves,
twigs etc.) before the onset of season.
• Plough deeply to expose the hibernating larve/pupae for
predation.
• Practice early sowing that will help to escape the pest
onslaught.
• Sun dry or hot water treatment of seeds up to 60 oC to • Compulsorily apply organic manure (FYM or Compost)@
kill any seed- borne larvae or fungi. 5t/acre and neem cake @ 1t/acre.
• Use tolerant variety of cotton. • Select high yielding, disease and pest tolerant hybrids.
• Control irrigation to reduce pest pressure. If drip is • Prefer Rabi and Summer season for high-tech cultivation
adopted it will help. of cotton.
• Removal of reproductive parts (flower buds) during late • Sow early in the season.
season. Apply Chloroflurenol @ 1ml/l water to suppress • Follow a planting pattern suitable for drip laying – Paired
formation of late flowers. row method.
• Release egg parasitoids Trichogramma chilonis or larval • Treat the seeds with fungicides before sowing.
parasitoids Bracon gelechidae, B. greeni, or Chelonus • Irrigate with drip strictly following the schedule given by
pectinophorae. the engineer.
• Conserve the predators Chrysoperla carnea or Scymnus • Follow the drip system maintenance schedule given by
sp. or Triphles tantilus or release them in the fields. the engineer.
• Use pheromone traps baited with insecticides to kill the • Compulsorily weed/ intercultivate, timely operation helps
pest. in crop growth.
• Apply bacterial formulations B.t.k. 21 kg/ha • Follow fertigation schedule as given by the engineer.
• Do not use synthetic pyrethroids repeatedly. • Follow the precautions while operating the drip system as
• While spraying for sucking pests ensure that the spray explained by the engineer.
reaches the lower side of the leaves. • Apply micronutrient as and when needed.
• Do not grow Okra, Cucurbits, and solanaceous crops • Follow disease and pest control measures timely and
(Brinjal, Chilly etc,) near the cotton field. effectively.
Benefits of Drip irrigation for Cotton : • Apply sprays in the evening or early morning only.
• Increases yield upto 100% • Harvest on dry days. Store in dry cool place.
• Reduces water used for irrigation up to 55% Don’ts:
• Allows uniform high % germination • Don’t over irrigate the crop at anytime except for
• Drip is suitable for any type of seedbed- flat, ridges and germination.
furrows and bed and furrow. • Don’t cultivate co-host (Pigeon pea) for insects of cotton
• Helps in early planting which is a pre-requisite for IPM in or near the cotton field.
• Allows for a Summer cotton crop (high quality lint) • For fertigation don’t mix solid fertilizers and dissolve them
• Early and uniform maturity together. Prepare individual solutions and mix them for
• Allows the user to control vegetative growth by precision application.
irrigation and fertigation and increase flowering and boll • Don’t spray the crop under hot sunlight.
formation. • Don’t make a fire near cotton field with Drip system.
• Controls weed growth as water is applied only to the root • Don’t use the fertigation unit for bulky organic manure
zone of cotton. and fertilizers that are not soluble in water
• Creates opportunity for high value rotation crops • Don’t add solid fertilizer from the bag directly to the
fertilizer tank. Prepare solution separately and pour the
Dos: solution to the fertilizer tank. Prepare solution only in
• Ensure good drainage in the field. plastic buckets. Don’t use metal container.
• Cotton field should not have any shading from trees or • Don’t stir the solution with naked unprotected hand. Use
other structures. wooden spoon or stick.
• Adopt drip irrigation for irrigation. • Don’t heat the fertilizer solution to increase solubility.
• Compulsorily go for crop rotation. • Don’t pick cotton when it is humid.
• Prepare seedbed to fine tilth for good aeration and
infiltration.

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out of incorrect or faulty or mis-use of the products.

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