Development of Agro-Technology to Increase Yields of a Shy-Bearer Desi Cotton Species, Gossypium arboreum Race Cernuum in a Non-Traditional Area of Cultivation

The rapid adoption of Bt cotton hybrids has wiped out the desi cotton varieties, causing a huge shortage of coarse raw cotton needed by the surgical cotton industry. The cultivation of desi cotton, Gossypium arboreum race cernuum with big boll size, good locule retentivity and quality parameters ideal for surgical end-use, is a promising option to revive the surgical cotton industry in Central India. This communication provides the results of a study in India and elsewhere to standardize the agro-techniques - plant density and growth regulator requirements for cultivation of cernuum plants. Our results indicate that on rainfed black soils of Central India, for maximizing productivity cernuum plants must be planted at 45 × 10 cm spacing accommodating 148,148 plants/ha. Further, application of a growth retardant, mepiquat chloride @ 50 g ai/ha in two equal splits at peak squaring (55- 65 days stage) and peak flowering (75-85 days stage), ensures a more efficient translation of photosynthates to bolls, increased boll weight and further enhances yield at high planting densities.