Cotton Production In Agriculture

Botanical Name:  Gossypium Spp.

VARIETIES 

i.       Allah jac

ii.       Ishan  

Gossypium hirum

Gossypium perurianium

Soil requirement: Cotton requires rich, deep loamy or clay soil but avoid planting cotton on virgin land because it results to more vegetative growth and less seed formation.

 

Rainfall:  150cm well distributed over 4 to 5 months

 

Temperature:  25⁰c – 30⁰c especially during maturity and drying period.

 

Land preparation:  Deep ploughing about 20cm deep for sole cropping. 

 

Planting date: Between June and July in the North

 

Seed rate: 15kg - 20kg per hectare 2 to 3 per hole but you can later thin to one.

 

Planting techniques:  Plant 4 to 6 seeds per hole at 2.5cm depth and later thin to 2 seedlings per stand.

 

POST PLANNING OPERATION

1.   Weeding: Weeding is carried out 3 to 4 times before maturity but the first weeding must be done along with thinning and it must be done before fertilizer application.

2.  

 Fertilizer application: Apply sulphate to ammonia (NH₄S0₄) immediately after thinning or apply 125kg of super phosphate per hectare during planting.

3.   

 Mulching: There is need for mulching to prevent excessive water and erosion

4.    

Maturity: Cotton mature between 5 – 6 months after planting

5.   

 Harvesting: Harvesting of cotton is done by hand picking of matured fruits between November and January and it is better harvested in the afternoon when it is dry.

COTTON CLOSE SEASON

          This is a period when cotton should no more remain on the field or soil usually mid. March and mid- June.

Yield:  500kg to 1500kg per hectare in developed world/ country and 500kg per hectare in the north

Local farming 70-150kg per hectare

Processing

Ginning: This is the removal of lints from seeds. Ginning has percentage which is  WEIGHT OF LINTS X 100

Weight of cotton seed

After grading of cotton. It is packed into unit called bales

A bale of lint is 180kg

ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF COTTON (USES)

1.   It is used to manufacture textile

2.   It is a good source of planting material or it is used for planting.

3.   Oil can be extracted from cotton seed

4.   Lint is used in making pillow

5.   Cotton has medicinal uses

DISEASES AND PESTS

1.   Bacterial blights or black arm/angular spot

2.   Causative organism: bacteria

The disease only affects the vegetative part of cotton

MODE OF TRANSMISSION

It is an air-borne disease that enter into the plant through their stomata

SYMPTOMS

1.   Irregular sports on leaves and branches which can cause the death of the plant

2.   Discolouration of lints

CONTROL

1.   Treat seeds with chemical before planting

2.   Observe cotton close season

3.   Practice crop rotation

Cultivation And Production Of Citrus (ORANGE) In Agriculture

Botanical name:   Citrus  spp

Family:  Ruta ceae

Origin:   Asia

VARIETIES

1.   Sweet orange (citrus sinensis) 7m by 7m 

2.   Sour orange (citrus aurantium) 7m by 7m 

3.   Tangerine (citrus nobilis)  (citrus reticulanta) 7m by 7m 

4.   Shad dock: (citrus maxima) 6m by 6m 

5.   Grape (citrus paradisi) 8.1m by 8.1m 

6.   Lime (citrus aurantifolia) 8.1m by 8.1m 

7.   Sweet lime (citrus limetta) 8.1m by 8.1m 

The following are to be considered in selecting site for citrus

Citrus grow well in tropical and sub-tropical climate.

The plant requires moisture because its main product is water based.

Excessive moisture is not good because it makes fruit to be over sized/ puffy.

CLIMATIC REQUIREMENTS

Rainfall – 1000 mm- 2000mm evenly distributed over at least a month for citrus at the time of flowering and fruiting.

Temperature: 15⁰c – 55⁰ for growth and optimum for vegetative growth 29⁰c-29.4⁰c temperature for ripening is 12.8⁰c – 18.3⁰c

SOIL REQUIREMENTS

Well drained, deep, loamy soil not too acidic is required. Water logging area must be avoided.

LAND PREPARATION

Citrus does not require shade in the field, so trees that can provide shade should be cut.

METHOD OF PROPAGATION

By seed (sexual or vegetative propagation)

POST PLANTING OPERATION

Post planning operation is the same as that of cocoa

MATURITY PERIOD: it is between 3-7 years

HARVESTING.

1.   Fruits are easily perishable therefore they should be harvested as soon as they mature

2.   Care must be taking during harvesting to avoid damage to the fruits

3.   Harvesting knife is used in harvesting citrus

USE

1.   It is used as drink (food)

DISEASE OF CITRUS

Citrus diseases may be caused by any of the group pathogen. The diseases of citrus are as follow.

1.   Tristeza (viral disease)

CONTROL

  Plant resistant variety

2.   Gummosis – (fungi disease)

Control – spray with appropriate fungicide

Causative organism: phytophthera citrophthora

3.   Scab (fungi disease)

 Control: Proper farm sanitation and use plant resistant variety

PESTS OF CITRUS

1.   Purple scale

2.   Mealy bug

3.   Aphids

4.   Fruit moths

5.   Leaf hoppers