Department of Cotton

Cotton is the most important fibre crop of India. It occupies an area of 1.69 lakh hectares in Tamil Nadu and records an annual production of 3.16 lakh bales against the mill consumption 50.00 lakh bales (2000-01).

In the beginning of this century, Madras cottons were composed of the two asiatic species G .herbaceum L. race weightianum and G. arboreum L. race indicum. The chance introduction of an annual race of G .hirsutum (latifolium) by East India Company in 1898 opened up new vistas in cotton improvement in Tamil Nadu. The first Cotton Research Station was started in 1901 at Kovilpatti. Cotton Breeding Station, Coimbatore was established in 1922 and a Cotton Specialist was appointed in 1924. This station is located at an elevation of 426.72 MSL and between 11½N latitude and 77½N longitude. The total area is 20 hectares having red clay and laterite soils. The station receives an annual rainfall of 625 mm, a lions share being received from North East Monsoon season. A fillip to cotton research was given when All India Co-ordinated Cotton Improvement Project was launched in the year 1967.

Research :

=> Development of high yielding hybrid cottons for irrigated tracts through exploitation of cytoplasmic genic male sterility
=> Evolution of high yielding G. hirsutum cotton varieties superior to MCU 12 in spinning and with early maturing characters suited to winter Cambodia tract
=> Maintenance of parents of released hybrids and production of nucleus and breeder seeds of released varieties
Evaluation of intra hirsutum and interspecific hybrids of cotton under AICCIP programme in winter irrigated condition.
=> Breeding hybrid cotton suitable for winter irrigated tracts of Tamil Nadu superior to TCHB.213 and Bunny
Evaluation of cotton (G.hirsutum) genotypes in winter irrigated condition under All India Co ordinated Cotton Improvement Project
=> Maintenance and evaluation of germplasm stocks of G. barbadense
=> Maintenance and evaluation of germplasm stocks of G.hirsutum
=> Evaluation of germplasm accession on the basis of seed coat nep content

Department of Cotton
Center for Plant Breeding and Genetics
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University
Coimbatore - 641 003
Tamil Nadu
India

Phone No : 91-422-2456297

E-mail : [email protected]