Soil requirements and sowing season
- Thrives best in deep, well-drained black clay soils (regur) or fertile loams with good water retention capacity and pH between 6.5 and 8.0.
- Sowing starts in April-May in northern irrigated zones (Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan) and June-July with monsoon arrival in central and southern zones.
- Use certified hybrid or Bt cotton seeds suited to regional agro-climatic conditions, maintaining spacing of 90 to 120 cm between rows.
Nutrient management and irrigation
- Incorporate well-rotted farmyard manure during deep summer ploughing.
- Apply balanced nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium based on soil health card recommendations, splitting nitrogen to match vegetative and flowering stages.
- Irrigate at critical intervals, particularly square formation, flowering, and boll development, avoiding waterlogging in root zones.
Pest management and picking practices
- Monitor sucking pests like thrips, aphids, and whiteflies using yellow sticky traps and selective registered insecticides.
- Practice integrated management for pink bollworm by installing pheromone traps and avoiding extended ratooning.
- Harvest clean seed cotton when bolls burst open fully in dry morning hours, keeping pickings free from dry leaves and trash.
Official source
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ICAR - Central Institute for Cotton Research ↗Related on KisanPe
Common questions
Which soil is best for kapas ki kheti?
Deep black cotton soils (regur) with good moisture retention and drainage are ideal for cotton farming.
When is cotton sown in India?
Sown in April-May under irrigation in northern states, and June-July with monsoon rains in central and southern regions.
How to manage pink bollworm in cotton?
Use pheromone traps for monitoring, spray recommended insecticides at threshold levels, and destroy crop residues post-harvest.
Why is clean picking important in cotton?
Trash-free seed cotton commands better grading, higher mandi rates, and reduces processing costs at ginning mills.
General guidance, not personal advice. For your farm, ask your local Krishi Vigyan Kendra or agriculture officer.
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