Cotton Research Station       
Junagadh Agricultural University       
Junagadh - 362001 (Gujarat)

(Year of Establishment: 1962)

IMPORTANCE OF COTTON CROP     
Cotton (Gossypium sp.) is an important commercial fibre crop grown under diverse agro-climatic conditions and is called as ‘White Gold’ and also as ‘King of Fibre”. It is an important cash crop of global significance, which plays a dominant role in the world agriculture and also in industrial economy. Cotton is cultivated in nearly 100 countries with China, India, United States, Pakistan and Brazil being the five largest producers of cotton. India is the important grower of cotton on a global scale and acts as the backbone of textile industry and provides raw materials in the form of lint to the textile industry. It is also grown in tropical and subtropical regions. Cotton in India provides direct livelihood to 6 million farmers and about 40 -50 million people are employed in cotton trade and its processing. Cotton is cultivated on about 30.0 million ha and 120.9 million bales across the world. India having the largest area under cotton cultivation and production in the world is 11.3 million ha and 29.9 million bales. The yield/ha is however low i.e. 448 kg/ha against the world average 771 kg/ha. In India, Gujarat is the second largest producer of cotton having 2.30 million ha under cotton cultivation, producing 8.40 million bales in production (Anonymous, 2024).

HISTORY OF CENTER:                 
Regional Cotton Research Station was established in the year 1962 where, research on extra-long staple cotton (G. hirsutum) was initiated with help of  I.C.C. Further development of station was done with the help of I.C.A.R. (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) during 1967 through sanction of “All India Co-ordinated Cotton Improvement Project” (AICCIP, B.H. 2009) where initial project has been merged with new project. Since research on plant improvement, Agronomical practices, Entomological, Plant Pathological and Physiological aspect on cotton is under progress.                 
Moreover, considering needs of farmer of Gujarat for pure seed (higher stage) of cotton varieties, Gujarat Government has strengthened the station by approval of project for production of nucleus, breeder and foundation seeds of cotton. Further improvement of station is made by provision of required contingencies expenditure under the scheme “To Establish a Center of Excellence for Cotton Research (B.H. 12009)” at Junagadh in 1980.                 
As more and more Genetically Modified (GM) crops are being released for field testing and commercialization of the world, India has a well-defined regulatory mechanism for development and evaluation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) including GM crops and the products thereof. Bt cotton the first GM crop being commercially cultivated in India. Therefore, “Strengthening of Research on Genetically Modified Cotton at Junagadh (B.H. 12582)” is sanctioned by Govt. of Gujarat in the year 2008.                 
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