The Hindu : National : New cotton variety

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 25, 2004

National

National

New cotton variety

By Gargi Parsai

NEW DELHI, JUNE 24. In a breakthrough, the Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI) has developed a pest-free, non-transgenic, variety of `spring-summer cotton' which is sown during spring and harvested in summer. The new variety is standing in the IARI fields here at Pusa and has been successfully planted in the Cauvery delta region in Tamil Nadu and the non-cotton growing area of the Sunderbans in West Bengal. It will now be sent for identical multi-locational coordinated trails by the Cotton Institute at Coimbatore, the IARI Director, S. Nagarajan told mediapersons here today.

The variety, yet to be named, will reach farmers in three years, the Joint Director (Research), N.N. Singh said. It was funded under the National Agriculture Technical Project (NATP) with field trials in the Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana, the Haryana Agriculture University, Hissar, and IARI, Pusa.

It does not require the 10 to 15 pesticide sprayings needed for the traditional cotton variety which costs Rs. 1000 per spraying. Besides, it is a short duration crop with a cycle of 110 days, compared to 150 days for the traditional cotton variety, and therefore cuts production costs. The yield is 15 quintals per hectare compared to the 25 to 35 quintals in the traditional variety. Recommended for sowing in January-February, this cash crop can be sown in between sugarcane crops. The variety shows that pests can be controlled in cotton without transgenics or sprays in an ecologically congenial atmosphere.

"This cotton has been found free from heliothesis and the leaf curl disease prevalent in the traditional cotton. Because it is a summer crop which is harvested just before the onset of monsoon, it is safe from pest infestation which happens in humid and moist conditions.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National