Package of Practices for Cotton Cultivation
Cotton Research Station, JAU, Junagadh (Gujarat)
Introduction:
Cotton is one of the most important fibre and cash crop of Gujarat playing dominant role in
industrial and agricultural economy of the Gujarat. It provides basic raw materials for textile, oil
and animal feed manufacturing industries as well as livelihood to farmers and persons employed
in processing, value chain and trade. Further, the seed, fertilizer and pesticide industries have
major share of consumption from cotton cultivation in large area in Gujarat and India. Thus
cotton is the key driving force of agriculture economy in the state. Cotton is cultivated in 30
districts out of 33 districts in diversified area, soil types and climatic conditions. In Gujarat,
cotton occupied aprrox. 26.8% of the gross cropped area (9.88 million ha) of the state. Area of
Gujarat was 22.75 lakh hectare and production 80.96 lakh bales and productivity 610 kg/ha.
(AICRP, Annul report 2021)
Soil Type:
Cotton succeeds in various soil types from heavy black clay to light sandy soils; it also has a
good tolerance to soil salinity but it requires good drainage.
Temperature:
Cotton requires a warm, dry climate (optimum temperature: 25-35°C) for its cultivation and a
frost-free period of ~200 days is essential.
Land preparation:
The land should be prepared with 1-2 cross harrowing; this may help in conservation of moisture
in the soil. If monsoon receives late, the land should be prepared with one ploughing. Deep
ploughing after 2-3 years with tractor drawn implements may reduce the problem of perennial
weeds in the field.
Sowing:
Generally sowing can be done by the first week of June to second week of July. After getting
sufficient amount of rainfall. Avoid early and late sowing for management of pest and diseases.
Seed rate and spacing:
The seed rate of cotton depends on the variety/hybrids, the size of the seed and spacing. Spacing
mainly depends on the growth habit of a variety/hybrids, soil type and in which condition it is to
be sown i.e. irrigated or rainfed. The details of seed rate and spacing of different cotton varieties
is given as under. Normally, seed should be sown at a depth of 4-6 cm according to availability
of moisture in the soil.
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Seed rate:
Hybrid (Bt): 2.5 to 4.0 kg/ha
Bt variety: 4.0 kg/ha
Spacing: Varieties/hybrids:
Rainfed: 90 x 30 cm
Irrigated: Hybrids :120 x 45 cm
Bt variety :120 x 45 cm
Selection of variety/ hybrids:
Following varieties have been recommended in Gujarat:
Improved varieties Deshi cotton hybrid varieties American cotton Hybrid
American cotton or Bt hybrids
G. Cot. -10 G. Cot.Deshi Hy -7 G. Cot. Hy. -22
G. Cot. -16 G. Cot.Deshi Hy -9 G.Cot.Hy -8 BG-II
G.J. Cot - 102 G. Cot. Deshi Hy -11 G.Cot.Hy -10 BG-II
G. Cot.-38 G.Cot.Hy -12 BG-II
G. Cot. Hy.-24 BG-II
G. Cot. Hy.-26 BG-II
GTHH-49 BG-II
Fertilizer management in cotton
➢ FYM 10 tons per hectare mix with soil at the time of land preparation.
➢ Recommend chemical fertilizer dose for Bt hybrid per ha. 240 kg nitrogen, 50 kg
phosphorus and 150 kg potassium per ha. To give basal application of P2O5 and K2O 25
kg and 75 kg per hector respectively at the time of land preparation and remaining dose
will be given at time of earthing up.
➢ Maximum 240 kg/hector nitrogen is required for Bt cotton.
➢ Apply ZnSo4 50 kg/ha and MnSo4 25 kg/ha are given at the time of land preparation
➢ For getting higher yield two to three spray of 19-19-19 (N-P-K) 100g and micro mix (G-
4) 15 g in 10 liter of water and for reddening/parawilt management spray KNO3 200 g in
10 liter of water.
Irrigation Management
Where irrigation facility is available, irrigation should be given 3-4 weeks after last
effective rainfall. In black soils, generally irrigation should be given at an interval of 20-
25 days. Whereas, in sandy loam soils (GORADU), it should be given at 15 days interval;
irrigation water can be saved by irrigating the crop with alternate furrow method without
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decreasing in the yield as compared to flood irrigated area. In rainfed cultivation, when
shortage of rainfall occurs, crop should be irrigated with one or two life saving
irrigations.
➢ To adopt drip irrigation
➢ To avoid irrigation at the time of squres and flowers formation.
➢ To give irrigation at the time of boll formation
➢ If you have limited irrigation facilities, you give alternate furrow irrigation.
➢ Avoid excess irrigation
Weeding and inter-culturing:
➢ The operation of inter-culturing and hand weeding may be followed as per requirement.
The weeds should be removed by following deep harrowing in earlier stage of the crop.
whereas shallow harrowing in later stage of the crop. This is to avoid damage to root.
➢ In case of weed control through chemical, the field should be sprayed pendimethalin 0.9
kg/ha as pre- emergence in 500 l of water. If spraying is to be done only on the rows of
the crop. Two hand weeding and two–three cultivation is required for good weed
management. Quizalofopethyl @ 1.00 kg/ha is very effective for the control of monocot
weeds as post emergence application.
Canopy management:
➢ Spray growth promoter Naphthalene Acetic Acid (NAA) @ 30 ppm (0.3g /10 lit. water)
at 50 & 70 DAS
➢ Spray growth inhibitor Cycocel / Chlormequat Chloride (CCC) @ 40 ppm at 90 DAS
(0.4g /10 lit. water)
➢ Detopping at 75 days after sowing
Plant protection:
Important insect-pests and their control measures:
➢ The sucking pests like aphid (Aphis gossypii) , jassid or leaf hopper (Amrasca biguttula,
thrips (Thrips tabaci linda.), whitefly (Bamisia tabaci Genn.) and red cotton bug
(Dysdercus cingulalis (Fab)), both adults and nymphs suck sap from the underside of the
leaves and devitalize and reduce the vitality of the plant.
Mealybug:
➢ Mealybugs are small sap-sucking insects, measuring about 5-6 mm in length and 3-4 mm
breadth. This insect occurs severally during last five years and cause considerable
damage to the cotton crop. For control of this pest, follow crop rotation, before onset of
monsoon clean the farm boundary, uproot infected plant and destroy it, dusting on 25 to
50 plants & soil with Quinalphos 1.5 DP around the infected plants. In case of severe
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infection of the pest, spray chloropyriphos 20 EC @ 25 ml, quinalphos 25EC @ 20 ml,
profenofos @15ml in 10 lit of water.
Bollworms:
➢ American boll worm larvae feed on the leaves initially and then bore in to the
square/bolls and seeds with its head thrust into the boll, leaving the rest of the body
outside. Spotted bollworm caterpillars cause damage by boring into the growing shoots,
buds, flowers and bolls. The attacked shoots wither, droop and ultimately die, and
flowers and buds drop off. Pink bollworm feeding on the flower buds, panicles and
bolls. The holes of entry close down by excreta of larvae which are feeding inside the
seed kernels. They cut window holes in the two adjoining seeds thereby forming "double
seeds" and finally damage them. The attacked buds and immature bolls drop off. For 65-
100 days crop, 5-10% infested fruiting bodies is the ETL. Tobacco caterpillar
(Spodoptera spp) larvae feed gregariously on the under surface of the leaves and
skeletonize them leaving only the mid-rib and veins in severe cases. They also attack
flowers, buds and squares causing considerable loss.
Integrated Pest Management in cotton:
1. Seed treatment with Imidacloprid @ 7.5 g/kg seeds.
2. Hand collection of infected shoots with spotted bollworms in the early stage.
3. Installation of pheromone trap @ 5/ha one week after germination for Spodoptera and
bollworms.
4. Early release of Chrysoperla @ 10,000 eggs or larva /ha (3 re-lease)
5. Spraying of Neem form or Neem seed kernel suspension @5%.
6. Release of Trichogramma @ 1.5 lakh/ha (5 releases).
7. Spraying of HaNPV @ 450 LE/ha for Helicoverpa and SaNPV @ 250 LE/ha for
Spodoptera.
8. Hand collection of eggs and larva of Helicoverpa and Spodoptera from cotton and trap
crops.
9. Planting of Maize/Sorghum as a inter-crop (10:1).
10. Planting of Marigold and Castor as a trap crops around the cotton for the management
of Helicoverpa and Spodoptera .
11. Need based application of insecticides for pests based on economic threshold level.
Table-: Control measures of important insect-pests
No Name of Insect Measures to be taken Quantity of insecticides in10
lit. of water
1 Aphids, Jassids Neem extract 5% 25 ml
and Thrips Dimethoate 30 EC 10 ml
Thiamethoxam 25 WG 2g
Acetamiprid 20 SP 2g
Imidacloprid 200 SL 4 ml
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Acephate 75 SP 20 g
Dinotefuran 20 SG 5g
Flonicamid 50 WG 3g
2. Whitefly Acetamiprid 20 SP 2g
Diafenthiuron 50 WP 10g
3. Mealybug Chloropiryphos 20 EC 25 ml
Profenofos 50 EC 15 ml
4. Bollworms Emamectin Benzoate 5% SG 5g
Quinalphos 25 EC 20 ml
Profenofos 50 EC 15 ml
Spinosad 48 SC 2g
Indoxacarb 14.5 SC 7g
Thiodicarb 75 WP 40 g
Lambda cyhalothrin 2.5 EC 10 ml
Deltamethrin 2.8 EC 10 ml
Control measure of important diseases
1. Bacterial blight ➢ Delinting seed with sulphuric acid @ 100ml/kg seed
(Xanthomonas and seed dressing with Pseudomonas fluorecens strain
axonopodis pv -1, 10 g/kg seed and also spray @ 20g in 10 lit. water
malvacearum)) (Three spray at 30 days interval)
➢ Spray 2-3 times streptomycin sulphate @0.005% +
Copper Oxychloride 0.2% after initiation of the disease.
at 15 days interval
2. Alternaria leaf Spot ➢ Remove diseased residue
(Altenaria ➢ Three spray of Captan 70WP + Hexaconazole 5SL (750
macrospora) g/ha) and pyraclostrobin 5WG + Metiram 55WG (30
g/10lit. of water) at 15 days interval after initiation of
disease. or Fluxapyroxad 167 g/l + Pyraclostrobin 333
g/l SC 7ml/10 l water
3. Grey mildew ➢ Two spray of Carbedazim 0.05% (10g in 10 lit. of
(Ramularia areola) water) or Copper oxicloride 0.2% at 15 days interval or
Kresoxim methyl 44.3% SC @10ml in 10 l water.
4. Root rot (Rhizoctonia ➢ Seed treatment of Carboxin 37.5% + Thiram 37.5% DS
solani, R.bataticola 3 g/kg seed
and Macrophomina ➢ Follow cultural practices like long term crop rotation,
phaseoli) deep ploughing, balanced application of NPK & organic
manure, mixed cropping of Moth or Urid, irrigation at
short intervals, green manuring and destruction of
infected debris.
➢ Drenching of Mancozeb 75% WP 0.2% solution (27 g
in 10 lit of water) around the infected plant and after 4-5
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days apply Urea /Ammonium Sulphate to the crop
➢ Drenching Copper Oxicloride 0.2% solution around the
infected plant (40 g in 10 lit of water)
➢ Soil application of Trichoderma harzianum (2 x 106
cfu/g-JAU isolate) @ 2.5 kg/ha in 250 kg of FYM
5. Wilt ( Fusarium ➢ Seed treatment of Carboxin 37.5% + Thiram 37.5% DS
oxysporum f.sp 3 g /kg seed
vasinfectium) ➢ Seed dressing with Thiram or Captan or
➢ Follow cultural practices like, Grow disease resistance
varieties, follow crop rotation, apply well decomposed
Farm yard manure and potash in soil
➢ Drenching Copper oxychloride 0.2% solution around
the infected plant (40 g in 10 lit of water)
➢ Soil application of Trichoderma harzianum (2 x 106
cfu/g-JAU isolate) @2.5 kg/ha in 250 kg of FYM
Physiological disorder:
Reasons for leaf reddening:
• Varietal characters
• Water logged condition
• Defficiency of magnesium, nitrogen, potassium and more no. of bolls per plant
• Due to mixing of more than one insecticide, pesticides and hormones
• Production of acid in plant due to temperature difference day and night more than 100 c
• Disturbance in root systems of plant
• Deficiency of Zn, Cu, Fe in soil
• Shortage of humidity at the time of squaring increase in wind speed
Control Measures:
• To select proper time of sowing
• To spray 1 to 2 % DAP or Urea solution
• To apply MgSO4@ 20-25 kg/ha before sowing
• To spray of MgSO4 1 % at 90 DAS.
• Application of irrigation water as when required
Information supplied by: Cotton Research Station, JAU, Junagadh (Gujarat), 2023
Information collected and uploaded by Dr. M. Sabesh, CICR
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