Cotton (गोसावळी/कापूस)

Production in India – 

1. What is Cotton?

Botanical name: Gossypium spp.

A major fiber crop, also used for cottonseed oil and animal feed (cottonseed cake).

Known as कापूस (Kapus) in Marathi and कपास (Kapas) in Hindi.

2. India’s Global Rank in Cotton

India is the world’s largest cotton producer, followed by China and the USA.

Also ranks second in cotton export globally.

3. Top Cotton Producing States in India

Rank State Contribution (%)

1 Maharashtra ~25%

2 Gujarat ~23%

3 Telangana ~15%

4 Rajasthan ~10%

5 Andhra Pradesh ~8%

Other States: Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Punjab, Haryana, Tamil Nadu.

4. Climate & Temperature Requirements

Type: Kharif crop

Temperature range:

Ideal: 21°C to 30°C

Cannot tolerate frost or heavy rainfall.

Rainfall: Moderate (600–1200 mm) – sensitive to waterlogging

Sunlight: Needs bright sunny weather during growth and harvesting.

5. Soil and Agronomy

Soil type: Black cotton soil (Regur) is best; also grows in loamy soils.

pH: 6.0 – 7.5

Sowing season: June–July (with monsoon)

Seed rate:

Bt cotton: 1.5–2 kg/ha

Desi cotton: 10–12 kg/ha

Spacing: 90 x 60 cm (varies by variety)

Maturity: 150–180 days

Average yield: 400–700 kg lint/ha (can reach 1000+ kg/ha with hybrids)

6. Economic Importance

• Backbone of Indian textile industry.
• Provides raw material to over 1500 textile mills.
• Cottonseed oil used for cooking and biofuels.
• Byproducts like cottonseed cake used in cattle feed.
• Provides employment to millions of farmers and workers.

7. Attractive Features / Interesting Facts

India has the largest area under cotton cultivation globally (~13 million hectares).

Bt cotton revolutionized productivity since early 2000s.

Sustainable cotton initiatives (like Organic Cotton and Better Cotton) are growing.

Each cotton plant yields about 4-5 bolls, each with hundreds of fibers.

Cotton lint is used in clothes, paper, bandages, and even currency notes!