Seed Production of Cotton

Seed production of Cotton
Land requirement: The land should be free from volunteer plants; soil should be
fertile, moisture retentive with good drainage.
Isolation requirement: Cotton is self-pollinated crop but natural cross-pollination
may occur from 10-50% in Gossypium hirsutum, 1-2 % in Gossypium arboreum
and 5-10% in Gossypium barbadense. It is desirable to produce only one variety at
a time. For pure seed production, the isolation distance required is 50 m and 30 m
for foundation and certified seed respectively from other varieties and same
varieties not confirming to varietal requirements.
Cultural practices: Obtain appropriate class of the seed from the source approved
by seed certification agency. The seed rate required is 8 -10 kg/ha. The package of
practices recommended for commercial cultivation should be followed for raising a
good crop.
Number of field inspection: A minimum of two-field inspection is required. First
field inspection should be done at vegetative stage and the other at flowering stage
to verify isolation requirement, off-types and diseased plants.
Factor Foundation seed Certified seed

Off-types 0.1 % 0.2 %
Roguing: Remove the off-types and diseased plants first at seedling stage and then
at vegetative stage. Subsequent roguing for off-types and diseased plants should be
done at square initiation and flowering stage.
Harvesting and Picking: Picking is commenced when cotton is fully mature i.e.
when the bolls begin to open. Several pickings are necessary since the bolls ripen
over a period of 2-3 months. In general, early pickings give better germination and
good quality seed. However, the planting seed is mostly gathered from the cotton
harvested during peak period. The cotton picked from late-formed bolls (last
picking) should not be used for seed purpose.
Precautions:
1. Start picking when the bolls are fully mature.
2. Picking should not be done when the bolls are wet due to rain or dew.
3. Bolls damaged by rains or insects or otherwise should not be used for seed.
4. The cotton should be clean with minimum amount of leaves and plant barks
so that the seed is not damaged during ginning.
5. Moist cotton with 12% or more moisture content should not be stored
because heating may occur which damages the seed.
Seed yield: Seed yield may be around 3-6 Q/ha depending upon the variety and
management practices adopted.
Delinting is the removal of seed coat hairs and short fibers that remain after
ginning. Delinting can be done by machine, acid or flame delinting. For acid
delinting the seeds are treated with concentrated sulfuric acid and then washed
with water 3 or 4 times.
Hybrid seed Production:
Land requirement: Same as varieties.
In Cotton, Hybrid seed is produced by manual hybridization i.e. emasculation and
pollination. Individual flower buds are emasculated in the evening and pollinated
next day morning. The male and female are planted in a ratio of 1:4 or 1:5. The
first 4/5th of area is sown with female line and the remaining 1/5th by male line.
For example, if there are 50 lines then 40 lines are sown with female parent and 10
lines with male parent. Male parent is sown 3-4 times at an interval of 6-8 days
while the female is sown only once, so that sufficient number of male flowers
should be available when the female flowers are receptive. The seed rate required
for female parent is 3.75 kg/ha and that of male parent is 2.5 kg/ha. The spacing
adopted for female parent is 150 x 100 cm and for that of male parent is 150 x 50
cm.
Isolation requirement: Isolation distance required is 50 m and 30 m for
foundation and certified seed respectively and 5m between the parental lines.
Number of field inspections:
A minimum of four inspections shall be made as follows:
1. The first inspection shall be made before flowering to verify isolation,
volunteer plants, outcrosses and other relevant factors.
2. The second and third inspections shall be made during flowering to verify
isolation, off-types and other relevant factors. In case male sterile is used for
producing hybrid seed, the number of pollen shedding plants in female
parent shall also be verified.
3. The fourth inspection shall be made during picking of cotton in female
parent in order to determine that selfed bolls are eliminated and only cotton
from crossed bolls is picked.
Factor Foundation seed Certified seed
Off-types 0.10 % 0.5 %
Pollen shedding plants in female parent 0.05 % 0.1 %
Organizing an efficient crossing program:

1. Rogue out all off-types from both male and female parental lines before
starting the crossing program.
2. Emasculation should be done between 2.00 to 6.00 PM and pollination
next day morning between 8.00 to 12.00 A.M.
3. Select the bud that will open next day and emasculate it by removing
the calyx, corolla and the monodelphous stamens without causing injury to
the style and stigma.
4. Emasculate and pollinate all the flower buds appearing during the first seven
weeks of reproductive phase to ensure good seed setting and development of
the bolls.
5. Emasculation should be perfect and complete.
6. Cover the emasculated flower bud with butter paper bag and pollinate next
day morning. (As per certification standards it is not necessary to cover the
flower bud with butter paper bag as we are following the required isolation
distance).
7. Remove all the unemasculated flower buds next day morning before
fertilization.
8. Tie a thread to the pedicel of the bud after each pollination.
9. Crossing program should be stopped after the 11 th week and remove all buds
and flowers appearing subsequently to facilitate better development of the
crossed buds.
10.Nip the terminal shoots to stop further growth and to support the
development of crossed bolls.
Harvesting and Picking: Pick up the ripe and completely opened bolls along with
pedicel and thread and collect in the basket. The bolls may be sorted once again to
assure that they are crossed. Sundry them for 1or 2 days and store in gunny bag
until supplied to the processing plants. Care should be taken to avoid mechanical
admixtures during picking and thereafter. Grow out test is generally carried for
hybrid seed of cotton produced by manual emasculation and pollination to
ascertain the genetic purity.

Seed Production of Cotton

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Seed production of Cotton

Factor Foundation seed Certified seed

Organizing an efficient crossing program:

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