ALL
L IND
DIA COO
ORDINAT
TED R
RESE
EARC
CH
PRO
OJEC
CT ON
N CO
OTTO
ON
Ann
nual Repo
ort
2014
4-15
P
Projec
ct Coo
ordina
ator (C
Cotton
n Imp
provem
ment)
Centra
al Instittute forr Cotton Rese
earch
Reg
gional S
Station
n, Lawley Roa
ad,
Coimb
batore – 641 003 (T
Tamil N
Nadu)
Citation
AICRP on Cotton Annual Report (2014-15)
ICAR- All India Coordinated Research Project on Cotton
Coimbatore – 641 003, Tamil Nadu.
Published by
Dr. A. H. Prakash
Project Coordinator (Cotton Improvement) & Head,
Central Institute for Cotton Research,
Regional Station, Coimbatore – 641 003.
Compiled & Edited by
Dr. A. H. Prakash, Project Coordinator & Head
Dr. S. Manickam, Principal Investigator (Breeding)
Dr. P. L. Nehra, Principal Investigator (Agronomy)
Dr. B. Dharajothi, Principal Investigator (Entomology)
Dr. D. Monga, Principal Investigator (Plant Pathology)
Sh. M. Sabesh, Scientist, CICR, RS, Coimbatore
Sh. S. Sathyakumar, Technical Officer, CICR, RS, Coimbatore
Cover Page Design by: Sh. M. Sabesh, Scientist, CICR, RS, Coimbatore
No part of this report including processed and semi-processed data shall be used without
prior permission of the competent authority.
The use of trade names in this report, if any, shall not be an endorsement of the product by
the AICCIP.
Omissions and errors, if any, are not deliberate and are regretted.
Released in the Annual Group Meeting of AICRP on Cotton held during 08-10 April, 2015
at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore.
Printed at Thannambikkai Offset Printers, Coimbatore
Prefface Th
his Annual Report prrovides meerely a snapshot of some of the Trust’s successes, changes, developments and improvem
ments during the p
past 12 m
months. W
World cottton produ
uction is estimated at 119.24 million baales of 480
0 lb in 2014
4‐15 (USDA
A, March 2
2015). Cottton area deecreased to the tun
ne of 1.47 million haa compareed to 2013
3‐14. The early estim
mate of USDA indicaates that India has displaced China and
d become the leadin
ng produceer of cotto
on and alsso maintaiining the largest areea under ccotton and
d second laargest exporter of co
otton nextt to United
d States. In
ndia also sustained the positio
on of beingg the second largest consumerr of cotton and is exp
pected to cconsume 24 million
n bales in 2014‐15. TThe sustaiined growtth and im
mprovemen
nt in produ
uctivity is the sum effect of n
networkingg of Reseaarch activitty through
h the All India Coord
dinated Reesearch Prroject on Cotton (AICRP on Co
otton) of th
he Indian C
Council of A
Agriculturaal Research
h (ICAR) wiith its vast network of twentyy two centtres locateed in seveenteen Staate Agricultural Univversities all over the cotton growing Sttates of the country and linkage with privvate sectorr R & D parrtners. Th
he financiaal and adm
ministrative support eextended b
by ICAR, Neew Delhi and CICR, N
Nagpur is gratefully acknowledged. I beelieve thatt the succcess we acchieved is through the good will and personal ccontributio
ons made b
by its mem
mbers. Lead
ding from the front iis Dr. S. Ayyyappan, Secretary, DARE, Min
nistry of A
Agriculturee & Directo
or General, ICAR, Neew Delhi. I express my deep sense of gratitude tto our Hon
n’ble Director Generaal, ICAR, fo
or his valuaable guidan
nce and directions in
n running the activitties of AIC
CRP on Cottton. I placce on reco
ord my sin
ncere thanks to Dr. JJeet Singh Sandhu, Hon’ble Deputy Direector General (Crop SSciences), ICAR, New Delhi for cconstant encouragem
ment and guidance ffor the pro
ogress of A
AICCIP. Dr. N. Gopalakkrishnan, A
Assistant D
Director Geeneral (Com
mmercial Crops), ICA
AR, New Delhi, Dr. K. R. Kranthii, Director, CICR, Naggpur and Dr. P.G. Pateel, Director,
r, CIRCOT, Mumbai, have been
n very help
pful and reemain as sources off strength and know
wledge for efficient conduct o
of the AICR
RP (Cotton) programme, for which I am greatly ind
debted to them. It iss a great pleasure tto acknowlledge the full cooperation exteended by Dr. S. Man
nickam, Priincipal Investigator (Plant Breeeding), Drr. P. L. Neehra, Princcipal Investigator (Aggronomy), Dr. B. Dh
harajothi, Principal Investigato
or (Entomo
ology) and
d Dr. D. Mo
onga, Principal Invesstigator (Paathology) in steeringg various technical aactivities o
of this hugee Project. Dr. S. Ushaa Rani (Sr. SScientist) w
was very closely asso
ociated in the extension activiity and asssisted us in successsful complletion of TTribal Sub Project (TTSP) and NFSM‐FLD
D, during th
he year. D
Dr. M. Sabeesh was avvailable alll through tthe days aand withou
ut whose help it wo
ould not be possiblee for timelyy submission of reports and u
updating o
of AICRP w
website. I extend myy gratitudee to Dr. K. R
Rathinavel, Principal SScientist fo
or efficienttly managing the DUSS activity during thee year. Drr. N. Shanm
mugam, H
Head, QED,, CIRCOT, Mumbai aand his teaam excelleently and efficiently managed to evaluate the fibrre sampless and provvided the ccrucial quaality data iin time. The Scientists and Staffs of C
CICR, Regiional Statiion, Coimb
batore desserve a sp
pecial men
ntion for extending whole‐heaarted supp
port in the general acctivities of the Projecct, withoutt which it w
would be very difficult to carrry out the assignmen
nts. I ackno
owledge th
he sincere efforts pu
ut in by myy team –
Sh. N. Ram
mesh (Sr. C
Clerk) and Sh. K. Ved
davyas (Steenographer), CICR, RS, Coimbatore – for assisting me in the regular co
orrespondeence, adm
ministrative and finan
ncial matteers. I also w
would like to place on record
d the tim
mely guidaance and assistancce rendereed by Sh
h. Sachin Agnihotri (Senior Administraative Officeer), Dr. S. N
N Rokde (FFinance & A
Accounts O
Officer) and their teaam at CICR
R, Nagpur without w
whom the timely disbursal of funds to parrticipating ccentre would have been imposssible. Th
he countryy is now u
universally recogniseed as a nation on th
he move aand takes its place amongst tthe successful econ
nomies in the regio
on. The fu
uture poteential is eenormous but the country's d
destiny is iin our hands. The tim
me has com
me to movve from sm
mall increm
ments to bo
old, large initiatives.. The time has come to stretch the envelope and seet goals which were earlier nott seen to be possiblle. The tim
me has com
me for perrformance to be meeasured an
nd for alloccated fund
ds of the government to reach
h the peop
ple for who
om they weere intended. A. H. Prakash
Projectt Coordinator (Cottton Improovement)