Shrikant Mane

Studies on Conventional & Organic Cotton Field Phyllosphere & Rhizosph Shrikant Mane

Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows on the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium belongs to the family Malvaveae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. Cotton is a very important cash crop for Indian farmers. Cotton plays a vital role in country?s economic growth by providing substantial employment and making significant contribution to export earnings. It accounts for 56% of the fiber used in the textile industry. Cotton provides direct livelihood to 6 million farmers and about 40 to 50 million peoples are employed in cotton trades and its processing. About 14 % of industrial production and 4% of the GDP is contributed by the textile sector. This sector is the second largest provider of employment after agriculture. This industry is expected to grow from the present US$ 70 billion to US$ 220 billion by 2020 (Cotton scenario CICR at a Glance 2011).