Cotton

Conditions  of Growth	Tropical and sub-tropical climate, with lots of sunlight and absolutely nil frost, 600 -1200 mm of rain needed. The only requirement is for soil that is heavy, nutrients being minimal in quantity.
Regions	All across India specifically in the North west states
Additional Info	Cotton production started very early even before the start of the age of Christian period
Production/ Trade	Gujarat and Maharashtra are the top producers of Cotton in India.

Cotton is a plant that is grown across India serving various purposes and being a very useful plant.  Cotton belongs to the botanical family of plants named Gossypium and the sheer softness of the cotton has put it on the top list of fabric material today. History has found traces of cotton fiber at almost all sites of excavations right from Mexico to India proving that the material has been extensively used as a dressing or clothing, tempting us to think if the plant was used even in the old stone ages.

Cotton Production in India

Cotton is the highest paying cash crop for India. Almost 18% of the cotton produced in the world is from India and the country is second only to China in the production of cotton. However, India has the largest cotton producing area when compared to the other countries in the world. This only proves the point that the rate of production per hectare is far below than the other nations of the world and there is a constant effort being taken to improvise on this. While countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh are major importers of cotton from India, China is also a big time buyer of the Indian cotton yarn. The duty on yarn is cheaper than that on the fiber and therefore, China is entering into terms with cotton manufacturers in India for yarn import into China.

Methods of Growing Cotton

The cotton crop needs good quantities of water and sunlight in its growth phases. The first and foremost step in the cultivation of the cotton is laying of the soil bed. Cotton plants need heavy soil, though it is not necessary for the soil to be rich in nutrients. The soil bed has to be prepared by making the soil level and then arranging the flowerbeds. Once this has been organized, the cotton seeds are sown in the flower beds. These seeds lie dormant for about a couple of weeks before the green shoots start to appear and this indicates that the seeds have started growing. In the next two to three months, these plants start flowering.

The cotton crop has a very unique flowering pattern. The first to appear in the flowering cycle is the bud and this initiates the process. In about 20 days, the buds burst open and the flowers are formed. The petals of the flowers wither away and the central portion called the boll continues to grow. It is this boll that has in it the seeds that would further help the growth of the crop and there are about two or three compartments within the boll where these seeds are seen.

Cotton also needs a lot of weeding out as well as the cleaning of unwanted grass that has a tendency to grow along with the cotton plant. There are also regular uses of pesticides that are needed to ensure that the cotton plants are not affected by insects and pests. In case of such events, the quality of the cotton so produced will be compromised and will not be well received in the export markets.

Cotton Growing States in India and the Best Season to Grow

Cotton is grown across the states in the country and it is this widespread growth that has resulted in the crop forming the major exports of the country. States that need special mention includes Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Orissa. Most of the states produce good quantity of cotton and special mention has to be made of the textile industries in Surat and Mumbai. Cotton clothes from these two cities have been traded all over the country and this is the best business in these parts of the country. Mumbai is known as the Manchester of India thanks to the cotton industry that survives in this area.

Ideally cotton is grown in two seasons depending on the nature of the moisture present. In the northern states, where the main source is irrigation, the sowing of cotton seeds starts in the middle of the month of March and goes on until the month of June. Correspondingly, these will be harvested around September to December mid-month. For other parts of the country, where rains are the main source of moisture content, sowing starts from end of May until July. These crops will be mature and ready for harvest in the month of November through February.

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