MM2.3: Mechanization of cotton cultivation

India and accounts for 65% of the fibre used in the textile industry. India has the largest acreage (91.32 lakh hectares) under cotton at global level and has the productivity of 503 Kg lint/ha and ranks second in production (270 lakh bales) after china during 2006-07. The requirement of cotton by the textile industry by 2010 is estimated to be 350 lakh bales. Bt. Cotton hybrids as well as varieties along with related production and protection technologies are likely to play a pivotal role in realizing the targets set for cotton production. The adoption of advance processes and improved implements are equally important. Better germination and establishment and required plant stand, interculture and effective plant protection measures are the pre-requisites for good yields and can be accomplished by the use of innovative farm tools and machines. Mechanization alone would enable multiple cropping programmes resulting in greater employment potential. Research conducted in this aspect has revealed that high yields can be obtained by the vigorous introduction of improved tools and technique, as a result of proper crop stand and good plant population. Improved implements suited to local conditions can be used which will ensure the proper and effective application of inputs like seed fertilizer, insecticides hence maximize the unit yields and augument the cultivators benefit. So far many implements / machines have been developed at various research institutes and Universities viz. Pneumatic cotton planter, Tractor operated belt type seed metering planter for cotton, tractor operated inclined plate planter, tractor-operated air-assisted sprayer, self-propelled cotton weeder, power tiller operated boom sprayer, tractor-operated cotton stalk puller, Tractor drawn weeding cum earthing-up equipment etc.

Which need to be popularized and commercialized. Many cotton implements are in the development/refinement prototyping stages which need to be refined and brought for use by cotton farmers. Timely operation with reducing drudgery to human labour can be achieved through the use of improved implements. The project was undertaken to enable cotton farmers to save labour cost, reduce input use with better efficiency have timely operation such as sowing, spraying and picking as well as reduce the drudgery of human labour.

OBJECTIVES

• Development, evaluation and refinement of seedbed preparation, planting, inter-culture and spraying machinery for cotton production.
• Mechanization of cotton picking operation

Name of the Lead Center: CICR, Nagpur

Co-operatingCenters: PAU, Ludhiana, TNAU, Coimbatore, PDKV, Akola, UAS, Raichur, CIAE, Bhopal , GTC, CIRCOT, Nagpur