All about Cotton Cultivation in India

Introduction :

Cotton is one of India’s most important cash crops and fibre crops. It is also a major part of the country’s industrial and agricultural economies. It gives the cotton textile industry its main raw material, which is cotton fibre. Cotton is a direct source of income for 6 million farmers in India, and between 40 and 50 million people work in the cotton trade and processing.

Cotton Cultivation in India:

There are ten major cotton-growing states in India. These states are split into the north zone, the central zone, and the south zone. Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan make up the north zone. Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat are all in the central zone. South zone comprises Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.In addition to these ten states, there has been a rise in cotton farming in the eastern state of Orissa. Cotton is also grown in small amounts in places like Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Tripura, which aren’t known for growing cotton.

Species of Cotton that are Grown:

Gossypium arboreum, G.herbaceum, G.hirsutum, and G.barbadense are the four types of cotton that can be grown in farms. The first two species are from the old world and are diploid (2n=26). Because they are grown in Asia, they are also called “Asian cottons.” The last two species are tetraploid (2n=52), and they are also called New World Cottons. G.hirsutum is also called American cotton or upland cotton, and G.barbadense is also called Egyptian cotton, Sea Island cotton, Peruvian cotton, Tanguish cotton, or quality cotton. G.hirsutum is the most common species, and it makes up about 90% of the world’s production by itself. India may be the only place in the world where all four of the cultivated species are grown on a large scale for commercial purposes.

Major Problems with Making Cotton

• About 65% of the land used to grow cotton is watered by rain, mostly in the Central and Southern States.
• Pests and diseases are very likely to attack cotton crops.
• Cotton prices change a lot, and the market infrastructure and cotton export policy are not good enough.

Cotton in India: Area, Production, and Yield

Annexure I shows the area, production, and yield of cotton in the major states over the past six years and in the current year. Cotton’s average area, production, and yield by state are listed in Annexure II. Annexure III shows the area, production, and yield of the major cotton-growing countries from 2012-13 to 2016-17.

Climate & Soil Requirement:

Cotton, which grows in tropical and subtropical areas, is a semi-xerophyte. For better germination in the field, the temperature needs to be at least 15oC. The best temperature for vegetative growth is between 21 and 27oC. The crop can handle temperatures up to 43oC, but temperatures below 21oC are bad for it. During the fruiting period, good boll and fibre development is helped by days that are warm and nights that are cool. Cotton can be grown on a wide range of soils, from well-drained deep alluvial soils in the north to black clayey soils of different depths in the centre and black and mixed black and red soils in the south. Cotton doesn’t like to be too salty or too wet, so it grows best in soils that drain well. 

Crop Season:

Cotton’s planting time varies a lot from field to field, but it’s usually in April or May in northern India and later in the south (monsoon based in the southern zone). Cotton is a Kharif crop in most of the country, including Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and some parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. In these places, irrigated crops are planted from March to May, and rain-fed crops are planted in June and July, when the monsoon starts. In Tamil Nadu, most of the irrigated and rain-fed crops are planted in September and October. In the southern districts, rain-fed crops can be planted until November. Desi cotton is usually planted in August or September in parts of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Also, in February and March, people in Tamil Nadu plant crops for the summer. From the middle of December to the middle of January, cotton is sown in the rice fields of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. 8. Getting the land ready How much time is available to prepare the land.

Global Cotton Producers:

The ten countries that produce the most cotton are:

1. India – 6,188,000 tons
2. China – 6,178,318 tons
3. United States – 3,593,000 tons
4. Pakistan – 2,374,481 tons
5. Brazil – 1,412,227 tons
6. Uzbekistan – 1,106,700 tons
7. Australia – 885,100 tons
8. Turkey – 846,000 tons
9. Argentina – 327,000 tons
10. Greece – 308,000 tons

India makes the most cotton in the world. Each year, it makes about 6,188,000 tonnes. The weather in India is great for growing cotton, especially in the north of the country. Every year, China makes about 6,178,318 tonnes of cotton. China has about 7,500 textile companies that make cotton cloth worth billions of dollars each year. The United States makes the third most cotton in the world. Every year, the United States makes about 3,593,000 tonnes of cotton. Texas, Georgia, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Alabama grow the most cotton in the United States.

Conclusion :

India’s most important fibre and cash crop is cotton, which also has a big impact on the country’s agricultural and industrial economies.

Cotton is the most common and profitable crop that is not used to make food. Its production gives more than 250 million people around the world a way to make a living and employs almost 7% of all workers in developing countries. Cotton is used to make about half of all clothes.