High density cotton planting to be undertaken in Rajasthan: CITI

AHMEDABAD: The Cotton Development and Research Association ( CDRA) of the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) will undertake a pilot project for high density planting system for increasing cotton productivity in Rajasthan. Dropping productivity of the cash crop despite BT recolution in the last decade is hoped to be sorted out through these trials, CITI said.

After achieving significant increase from less than 300 kilos to more than 550 kilos per hectare during 2003-2008 on the strength of BT seeds, productivity has again come down to less than 490 kilos during the last two years. Efforts of government and the textile industry for improving cotton productivity through extension activities have been able to achieve only limited success so far. Bayer Crop Science (BCS) along with the Rajasthan government and CITI will undertake experiments to improve cotton yield on the lines of countries like Brazil which have achieved huge productivity using high density planting, said P.D. Patodia, chairman of CITI's Standing Committee on Cotton in a press statement on Friday.

Trial plots of one acre each in Ajmer, Pali, Nagur and Jodhpur districts with different spacing initially to accommodate about 18000 plants per acre to promote high density planting system for cotton. Individual textile mills of the region have also joined CITI-CDRA in implementing the project, he said.