Abstract

With a view to tackle the Agricultural problems of the black soil tract in the districts of Tirunelveli, Ramanathapuram and Madurai, the Agricultural Research Station at Kovilpatti was established in Tirunelveli district during 1901. Of the three major crops of this tract viz., desi cotton known in trade as "Tinnevellies and Karunganni', Cumbu (Pennisetum typhoides) and fodder cholam (Sorghum dochna), the former which covers about 3.95 lakh acres in the tract, received foremost attention for improvement, as a cash crop of commercial value. Therefore, breeding and agronomic experiments on cotton formed an important programme of work among the various activities of the Station, since its inception. The results of the agronomic experiments have been reviewed elsewhere by Neelakantan and Guruswamy Raja (1958). The salient features of the breeding investigations carried out on this station and the progress in the evolution of improved Karunganni strains indicating scope for further improvement are summarised in this paper.

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