Cotton Production Technology for Philippine Conditions
General Requirements
Area Selection
Cotton grows best in areas with deep surface soil, high water holding capacity, good internal drainage and pH ranging from 5.5 to 7.0.
Planting Requirements
Planting Schedule. Planting dates vary from one area to another depending on rainfall and cropping systems.
Time of planting is important especially in rainfed areas to optimize available soil moisture. Early planting is encouraged to save on irrigation costs. It also allows the crop to enjoy a longer vegetative period, thereby, increasing its yield potential. On the other hand, late planting is done only in areas with adequate water source and adequate irrigation facilities. Planting dates suggested for the various cotton growing provinces are based on rainfall data, cropping patterns, and results of field trials.
Cluster Planting. For more efficient and effective farm supervision, plant in production clusters. A production cluster consists of at least 15 hectares within one-kilometer radius.
Synchronized Planting. Planting in a cluster must be done within a 30-day period to prevent insect pest build up especially for late-planted cotton.
Resources and Facilities
For irrigated cotton, irrigation resources and facilities must be adequately and economically available.
Varieties
The recommended varieties for commercial planting are UPL-C2, CRDI-1 and CRDI-2. Three newly developed cotton varieties under seedproduction are PSB-Ct8, PSB-Ct9, PSB-Ct10 and NSIC-Ct11. UPL-C2 is high yielding with a close fruiting period, which is a built-in advantage for insect pest control and crop management. It is less preferred by leafhoppers, slightly tolerant to thrips and resistant to bacterial blight disease. Moreover, it has high lint recovery and average strength and medium fiber.
CRDI-1 is recommended for Mindanao. CRDI-2 is for Luzon and Visayas. It yields 10% higher than UPL-C2, highly resistant to leafhoppers and moderately resistant to damping off. Its lint recovery is comparable to UPL-C2 and has lint qualities acceptable to textile mills. It is also high yielding, good for intercropping with garlic and legumes, and possesses good fiber qualities.