Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR) has developed a new variety of cotton, which requires only 100-120 days to flower and claims it to be the shortest duration cotton variety across the globe. Since the days of maturity have shortened, the new variety could be a solution to the challenges of dryland cotton farmers in Vidarbha and Telengana. “When this variety becomes available to farmers after we complete field trials within two years, India will have moved from the longest duration cotton variety to the shortest duration one,” CICR Director Keshv Kranthi was quoted as saying.
According to Kranthi, the maturity period for the cotton crop in Australia or China is about 150 days against between 170 and 240 days in India, which extends maturity beyond monsoon months, and also one of the main reasons for repeated crop failure in dryland areas. “This variety fits in perfectly with the monsoon period, making water available at the critical time of flowering and fruiting phases,” he added.
