Cotton is a major cash crop and fiber crop in India. It is known as “white gold” and forms the backbone of the textile industry.
Cotton
Gossypium hirsutum
Cash Crop
Overview
Common Pests
Pink Bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella)
Symptoms:
Damaged bolls with pink caterpillars inside; 'rosette' flowers that fail to open; lint discoloration.
Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci)
Symptoms:
Yellowing leaves; honeydew leading to sooty mold; transmits cotton leaf curl virus.
Aphids (Aphis gossypii)
Symptoms:
Curled leaves; mass colonies on growing tips; honeydew coating attracting ants.
Common Diseases
Cotton Leaf Curl Virus (CLCuV)
Symptoms:
Upward curling and cupping of leaves; vein thickening; dark green leaf enations on undersides; stunted growth.
Treatment:
Remove infected plants immediately; manage whitefly with traps and neem-based sprays.
Fusarium Wilt (Fusarium oxysporum)
Symptoms:
Yellowing from lower leaves upward; premature wilting; brown vascular discoloration in stem.
Treatment:
Improve soil drainage; apply trichoderma-based bio-control agents to soil.
Soil Requirements
Cotton grows best in deep black cotton soil (vertisol) with good moisture retention capacity. The high clay content provides adequate nutrition but fieldwork must be done before soils become sticky when wet.