Different studies have found that Desi cotton species 'Gossypium arboreum' is immune to Cotton leaf curl virus disease, comparatively tolerant to sucking pests (whitefly, thrips and jassids) and diseases (bacterial blight and alternaria diseases) but susceptible to grey mildew disease. Desi cotton species also show tolerance to moisture stress.

Out of 77 G. arboreum cotton varieties released for commercial cultivation in various cotton growing Zones/ States of the country, four long linted varieties viz., PA 740, PA 810, PA 812 and PA 837, developed by the scientists of Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth (VNMKV), Parbhani (Maharashtra) are having 28-31mm staple length; and rest 73 varieties have staple length in the range of 16-28 mm.

The VNMKV, Parbhani centre of ICAR-All India Cotton Research Project on Cotton has tested Desi cotton varieties for spinning tests including Upper half mean length, Ginning out turn, Micronaire value at ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology, centre at Nagpur and fibres of these varieties have passed spinning test.

The research efforts to increase length of desi cotton staple fibre is an on going process.   During 2022-23, 570 kg seed of these varieties was produced. Sufficient amount of seed is available for farmers for sowing in the next sowing season.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Kailash Choudhary in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

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