If the prediction of weather is anything to go by, sowing, production and harvest of cotton, India’s biggest commercial crop, is slated to get a boost in 2017. This comes on the back of financial losses and utter despair cotton cultivators suffered in the last few years. Production of cotton is largely depended on rainfall. And sometimes dependency on states like Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan for water does not help because these states receive less rainfall and face water scarcity during the harvest season. Agriculture scientists say the main reason why cotton production is low in these states is because of the over dependency on rain water. Cotton crops need moisture in the soil to thrive, especially when the flowers start to grow; however, due to lack of water retention in the soil, these states often suffer from low cotton production.

In India, rice is grown in varying terrains—8°-25° N latitude and 2,500-meter altitude above sea level—and is a dominant food crop in places which receives over 200 cm annual rainfall and is still an important crop in areas of 100-200 cm rainfall. It is a tropical plant and needs high humidity and heat to grow properly. The temperature should also be high: ideally 20°- 22°C at the time of sowing, 23°-25°C during growth and 25°-30°C at the harvesting time.

Generally, the rains in India start in July and end in September. The flowering in cotton crops begin in October and peak in November. Thus, the plant is not fully grown in such soils where water absorption capacity is low and water retention power is less. However, in the recent times, farmers have embraced new and improved technology to produce cotton. Until recently, gene-processed BT hybrid cotton was considered the best way to produce large quality of the crop; however, with advancement of agricultural science, the dependency on monsoon has decreased and production of cotton is now possible in regions which experience scanty rainfall throughout the year.

‘High Density Cotton Planting System’ is the new technique invented by the Nagpur-based Central Cotton Research Institute (CICR) which encourages farmers to plant for saplings per hectare. This method has been highly successful in increasing the overall cotton production in India. When previously farmers planted 50,000 saplings per hectare, under the new ‘High Density Cotton Planting System’ farmers sow four times more, and the seeds are sown very close to each other. The more you sow, the more you reap. The increase in the overall cotton production is because of the large-scale sowing mechanism under the ‘High Density Cotton Planting System’.

One of the main challenges that cotton production face is attack from pests and insects. In the last few years, whitefly destroyed more than 60 percent of the crops cultivated in the southern India.Insects cause major crop loss in India and around the world every year as they feed into the plant, eat leaves, burrow into roots, stems and fruits, and indirectly damage crop by transmitting bacteria. HPM India offers an array of products to fight insects and pests. Acephate 75% SP is a popular product to keep your crops safe. HPM India is committed towards helping Indian agriculture and strives towards making the country a leading producer in the world.