Abstract

                                Agriculture is India's premier industry and the basis of our national development. Among the various activities directed towards the promotion of Indian agriculture, plant-breeding in general and cotton-breeding in parti- cular, occupy a place of supreme importance. Cotton is a commodity of world-wide importance and is one of the chief raw products of India playing a role of importance in the welfare of a large proportion of her population dependent on it either directly or indirectly. India ranks next to America, as a producer of the world's cotton and is responsible for about a fifth of the total world out-put, while Madras is responsible for about a tenth of India's total production.

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