Abstract

Introduction-Mungari cottons form a part of cottons generally known as Westerns" which is a trade term applied to cottons grown in Bellary District and adjacent Gooty taluk of Anantapur District and Pattikonda taluk of Kurnool District. This cotton, though graded as second class cotton due to shortness of its staple and uncertainty in yield owing to any precariousness of the season, is of no little importance to cotton market as it covers a huge area of nearly 1,150,000 acres. It is grown both on black and red soils, major portion however, being grown on black and loamy soils. It consists mainly of Gossypium Herbaceum but there are traces of Indicums and Neglectums, the latter have, however, spread in recent years with giant strides forming nearly 50 per cent of the bulk crop on red soils. They were first intro- duced in Adoni somewhere about 1900 but their extensive adoption dates from about 1916-17 and from this date these types were a serious rival to local cottons on red and mixed soils. Further, due to their heavy outturn they gain high commendations from the ryots whose main craving is quantity and not quality. In addition to this they are grown with less rainfall and also on lighter soils than the variety of Gossypium Herbaceums formerly grown.

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