Introduction:
Cotton is the most important fibre crop in arid and semi-arid regions of Kenya. It is used in making clothes and in the manufacture of cooking oil and cottonseed cake for animal feed.
KSA81M
HART 89M
AMIRAN HYBRIDS HA701
Cotton Variety (MAHYCO Bt.)
Bt Cotton Variety MAHYCO
Source :https://infonet-biovision.org
Land Preparation
Planting
Pure Stand
Stages of cotton germination
Cotton seedling
Intercropping of Cotton with Legumes
Thinning
Thinning and gapping
Water Management
Soil Fertility
Method:
∙ Apply 50 kg DAP fertilizer at planting.
∙ Mix growth enhancer to water in the ration of 1:2 (use 10 litres of the mixture in water for one acre).
∙ Add 960 g of 2% zinc mineral.
∙ Apply when the cotton is at 4-5th leaf stage as top- dress.
∙ Also apply CAN (50kg per acre).
Symptoms of nutrient deficiency
Crop Management
Weed Management
Common cotton weeds
Chickweed
Wild lettuce
Cleavers
Mexican marigold
Black jack
Gallant soldier
Goat weed
Wandering jew
Mulching
Chemical Control
Mechanical Weeding
Fusarium wilts
Source: TexasAgrilife Extensionhttps://agfax.com/2018/09/12/texas-cotton-new-race-of-fusarium-wilt-how-to-limit-spreading/
Damage Symptoms
Management.
Cotton seedlings diseases Source: Munro, J.H. 1987
Damage symptoms
Management
Root knot nematode
Source: https://infonet-biovision.org
Damage Symptoms
Management.
Damping off (Rhizoctonia spp)
Management
Control Practices.
Cottonseed cake Screw-press
Power tiller
A Power Tiller can be used in seedbed preparation, sowing seed, planting seed, spraying fertilizer,
herbicide and even irrigation.
Wheeled tractor
Cotton weeder
weeds in a cotton plantation. It works by lifting the soil from the bed between the rows using two opposed mouldboards and pushing it to the root zone of the plants. Weeds are buried in the soil by the weeder shares
Cotton Production Handbook, A guide for farmers and extension. CODA 2013
D. R. Karanja, C.M. Githunguri, L. M’Ragwa, D. Mulwa and S. Mwiti (2006) Variety, Characteristics and Production Guidelines of Traditional Food Crops. KARI Katumani Research Centre
Munro, J.H. 1987. Cotton. Tropical Agricultural Series. Longman Group UK Limited. 436p
PCPB 2020. List of recommended pesticides for use in Agriculture.
Recommendations for growing cotton in Kenya. Second edition 2006
Tanzanian cotton growing hand book, 1968
Kathuli, P., Kisilu R., Karanja D.R., Mweki, R. and A.O. Adongo. 2017. Growth Enhancers Increase Yield and Profitability of Gadam Cotton in ASALs. ebsite:www.kalro.org/asal-aprp
Contour bund extension manual and leaflets KALRO Extension Brochure, Kabete
Extension manual and leaflets on Zai Pits in cotton farming
Kathuli, P. & Itabari, J. K. (2015). In situ soil moisture conservation: Utilization and management of rainwater for crop production. In: Adapting African Agriculture to Climate Change. Springer, Cham, Switzerland, pp. 127–142. Mati, B. M. (2005). Overview of water and soil nutrient management under smallholder rain-fed agriculture in East Africa. Working Paper 105. International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Colombo, Sri Lanka
Contacts
Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization
P.O. Box 57811-00200, Nairobi, Kenya
Call: 011101010