Abstract

Research in cotton in the State of Madras is directed towards the improvement of the various commercial cottons cultivated in this State in the different cotton tracts, namely, Cocanadas including Chinnapathi, Westerns including Mungari, Northerns including Red and White, Cambodias including Uganda or Rajapalayam cotton, Uppam, Nadam and Bourbon, and Tinnevellies including Karunganni. The improvement is sought in maximisation of yield, enhancement of quality, the introduction of resistance to pests, diseases and adverse environmental conditions and the increase of monetary return per acre to the growers of cotton. These improvements are attempted to be achieved by (A) adoption of plant breeding methods utilising the latest techniques, (B) agronomic experiments to determine the most suitable methods of economic cultivation of cotton and (C) the study of fundamental aspects relating to genetical behaviour of the several attributes in cotton and how best they can be utilised in breeding superior varieties. In the following paragraphs an attempt is made to summarise the progress achieved so far under these three heads.

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