White dwarf can spin a new cotton story

Central Institute for Cotton Research has come up with high-density plantation system for Maharashtra and MP

Compared to cotton-rich countries like China and Brazil that produce 40 to 80 quintals per hectare,the productivity in India is poor less than 20 quintals per hectare even in the 100 per cent irrigated zones of Punjab and Haryana and despite a sweeping Bt spread. The experiments and study conducted at the Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR) here for the last three years may have an effective solution to this problem.

The CICR has come up with a special programme for high-density plantation system (HDPS),particularly for rain-fed areas of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Some dwarf varieties sowed with narrow spacing give a density of one to two lakh plants per hectare as compared to Bt and other hybrids that offer a maximum density of about 15,000 plants per hectare assuring high production, claims CICR director Keshav Kranthi.

CICRs trials have concluded that some of Indias own varieties like PKV081,ADB39,NH630 and Suraj are amenable to a plant population of up to 1.11 lakh per hectare. It can reach up to 2.22 lakh plants per hectare in case of some desi varieties such as CINA404,JK5 and AKA7,the research has found. These can give yields up to 20 quintals per hectare even in shallow soils in non-irrigated conditions with minimum production cost. So we have decided to take up a programme of pilot demonstrations of 1,000 plots per district in six cotton-producing districts of Vidarbha through Krishi Vigyan Kendras,Agriculture department and agriculture universities, Kranthi says. Also,the crop can be harvested about 15-30 days prior to conventional hybrid crop,advancing the seasonal cycle.

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CICR has developed packages of simple farming practices for these varieties with minimum production cost.

It has also started a programme to develop new HDPS-compatible dwarf varieties with six to eight bolls per plant with superior fibre qualities.

It will be tested on multiple locations under the All India Co-ordinated Cotton Improvement Project,says Kranthi.

Mechanisation

In case of HDPS,the requirement of manual labour in picking bolls of lakhs of plants would be too large. This would necessitate mechanisation of picking work.

Lessons From Brazil

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Brazils tryst with HDPS started in 1980. The countrys productivity is in the range of 40-60 quintals per hectare,thanks to HDPS.

Why Not Just Hybrids

Plant population of hybrids cant exceed 15,000 since plant growth is luxuriant. Also,hybrids are high input-intensive and relatively more susceptible to pests and thus require more fertilisers and pesticides. Bt hybrids suck more nutrients from the soil compared to other varieties in order to yield more. Hybrid cotton is grown on more than 90 per cent of Indias over 11 million hectares,and have contributed to wider adaptations,higher quality production,higher seed output,and enhanced seed oil output. Therefore,there is a need for complimented research and development programmes for both hybrids and varieties to exploit their full potential and practical advantages, Kranthi says.

Risks With HDPS

* Highly fertile soils may promote excessive vegetative growth

* Initial weed management is critical

* Enhanced humidity leads to susceptibility to diseases

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