Abstract

The cultivation of cotton as a remunerative cash crop in between two crops of paddy in the rice growing regions of Madras has been made possible by the successful introduction of the short duration variety of cotton P 216 F. from the Punjab in the year 1950. This variety which has a duration of about five months is capable of yielding normally 250-300 pounds of lint per acre in addition to possessing a staple of 15/16", a ginning outturn of 32% and spinning performance of 30's (counts). A scheme financed by the Indian Central Cotton Committee has been functioning in Madras State since April 1954 for the spread of this strain both in the deltaic and the non-deltaic regions of this state. With the emphasis in cotton breeding having boon shifted to the evolution of long and extra long staple cottons in this country to save the much needed foreign exchange, the objective of the schome in its extended period from 1956 has been redefined as evolution of a long-linted short duration variety of cotton possessing a mean fibre length of over one inch, a ginning percent of 35 and above and a spinning capacity of 45's H. S. C. Possibilities of fitting in varieties with short duration and long staple were discussed by Kalyanaraman and Rangaswami (1957). The results of agronomic experiments conducted in the Rice Fallows were also reported by them.

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