Cotton Crop Special -1 — Agri Master Mind

What is the scientific name of the most widely cultivated species of cotton globally, including in India?
  • Gossypium arboreum
  • Gossypium hirsutum
  • Gossypium barbadense
  • Gossypium herbaceum
Gossypium hirsutum (Upland cotton) accounts for the majority of global cotton production due to its adaptability and yield potential.
Which type of soil is considered most suitable for cotton cultivation in India?
  • Sandy soil
  • Laterite soil
  • Black soil
  • Alluvial soil
Black cotton soils are known for their high clay content and excellent moisture retention capacity, which is crucial for cotton, particularly under rainfed conditions.
Which nutrient is critically important for the development of bolls and improving lint quality in cotton?
  • N
  • P
  • K
  • Zn
Potassium plays a vital role in photosynthesis, translocation of sugars, boll development, fiber maturity, and disease resistance in cotton.
The critical stage for irrigation in cotton is generally considered to be:
  • Vegetative stage
  • Flowering stage
  • Boll development stage
  • Maturity stage
Water stress during the boll development stage can severely impact yield and fiber quality, making it the most critical period for irrigation. Flowering is also crucial, but boll development often has a greater impact on final yield.
A common herbicide used for pre-emergence weed control in cotton fields is:
  • 2,4-D
  • Glyphosate
  • Pendimethalin
  • Paraquat
Pendimethalin is widely applied to the soil surface before weed and crop emergence to control germinating weeds in cotton.
Cotton harvesting is typically done:
  • All at once when the first boll matures.
  • In multiple pickings as bolls mature and open.
  • Only using mechanical pickers.
  • Before the bolls are fully open.
Cotton bolls mature over a period of time, requiring multiple hand pickings (usually 3-4 or more) to harvest the lint as it becomes ready, ensuring higher quality and yield.
A common herbicide used for pre-emergence weed control in cotton fields is:
  • 2,4-D
  • Glyphosate
  • Pendimethalin
  • Paraquat
Pendimethalin is widely applied to the soil surface before weed and crop emergence to control germinating weeds in cotton.
Cotton harvesting is typically done:
  • All at once when the first boll matures.
  • In multiple pickings as bolls mature and open.
  • Only using mechanical pickers.
  • Before the bolls are fully open.
Cotton bolls mature over a period of time, requiring multiple hand pickings (usually 3-4 or more) to harvest the lint as it becomes ready, ensuring higher quality and yield.
Defoliation in cotton is primarily done to:
  • Increase the plant's height.
  • Reduce pest attacks on leaves.
  • Facilitate uniform boll opening and harvesting.
  • Promote further vegetative growth.
Defoliants are applied to cause leaves to shed, allowing sunlight to penetrate, drying the bolls, promoting uniform opening, and making harvesting (especially mechanical) easier and cleaner.
What is the primary benefit of including short-duration pulses like Greengram or Blackgram as intercrops with cotton?
  • They compete strongly with cotton for resources.
  • They attract harmful pests away from cotton.
  • They provide additional income and improve soil fertility
  • They require intensive management, benefiting cotton indirectly.
Leguminous intercrops like pulses fix atmospheric nitrogen, benefiting the soil, and provide an additional yield and income source for the farmer, particularly important in less predictable rainfed conditions.
Yellowing of older leaves in cotton plants is a symptom of the deficiency of which nutrient?
  • P
  • K
  • Ca
  • N
Nitrogen is mobile in the plant, so when deficient, the plant translocates it from older leaves to new growth, causing chlorosis (yellowing) in the lower leaves first.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in cotton emphasizes:
  • Exclusive use of chemical pesticides.
  • Sole reliance on biological control agents.
  • A combination of various methods including cultural, mechanical, biological, and chemical controls.
  • Complete elimination of all insects from the field.
IPM is a sustainable approach that uses a variety of tactics (preventive practices, monitoring, natural enemies, targeted pesticides when necessary) to manage pests effectively while minimizing environmental and health risks.
The process of separating cotton lint from its seeds is known as:
  • Baling
  • Ginning
  • Pressing
  • Picking
Ginning is the mechanical process performed in a cotton gin to separate the valuable cotton fibers (lint) from the seeds after harvesting.
Which Gossypium species is commonly known as 'Desi cotton' in India ?
  • Gossypium hirsutum
  • Gossypium barbadense
  • Gossypium arboreum
  • Gossypium raimondii
Gossypium arboreum and Gossypium herbaceum are the old-world cotton species, often collectively referred to as Desi cotton, known for their resilience.
The 'Bt' in Bt cotton refers to:
  • British Technology
  • Boll Tolerance
  • Bacillus thuringiensis
  • Better Trait
Bt cotton is genetically modified to express insecticidal proteins derived from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, providing resistance to certain lepidopteran pests like bollworms.
Micronaire is a standard measure of which cotton fiber property?
  • Fiber Length
  • Fiber Strength
  • Fiber Fineness and Maturity
  • Fiber Color Grade
Micronaire value indicates the airflow resistance of a compressed cotton sample, which is influenced by both the diameter (fineness) and the degree of cell wall development (maturity) of the fibers.
Which irrigation method is considered most water-efficient for cotton, especially in areas with scarce water resources?
  • Flood Irrigation
  • Furrow Irrigation
  • Sprinkler Irrigation
  • Drip Irrigation
Drip irrigation delivers water directly to the plant's root zone through emitters, minimizing water loss through evaporation, runoff, or deep percolation, making it highly efficient.
The approximate seed rate for drilled cotton (conventional or hybrid) can range from:
  • 0.5 - 1.0 kg/acre
  • 5 - 10 kg/acre
  • 15 - 20 kg/acre
  • 25 - 30 kg/acre
Seed rate varies depending on variety, spacing, and germination percentage. For drilled sowing, 5-10 kg per acre is a more typical range compared to the much lower rate needed for dibbling hybrid seeds (often less than 1 kg/acre ).
Topping or removal of the terminal bud in cotton is sometimes done to:
  • Increase plant height.
  • Encourage vegetative growth.
  • Promote branching and boll development on lower branches.
  • Delay flowering
Topping redirects the plant's energy from apical growth to the development of lateral branches (fruiting branches), potentially leading to more bolls.
Which cropping practice helps break the life cycle of soil-borne pests and diseases specific to cotton?
  • Continuous cotton cultivation
  • Intercropping with cotton
  • Crop rotation with non-host crops
  • Increasing fertilizer application
Rotating cotton with crops from different plant families (e.g., cereals, pulses) prevents the build-up of pests and pathogens that are specific to cotton, thus disrupting their life cycle.
The ideal temperature range for the growth and development of cotton is approximately:
  • 10-15°C
  • 21-30°C
  • 35-40°C
  • 0-10°C
Cotton is a warm-season crop that thrives in temperatures between 21°C and 30°C during its growing period.
Square shedding in cotton refers to the dropping of:
  • Leaves
  • Flowers
  • Immature Bolls
  • Flower buds
Square shedding is the premature dropping of squares (flower buds), often caused by stress factors like water deficiency, nutrient imbalance, or pest/disease damage.
Which macronutrient is essential for early root development and flowering in cotton?
  • N
  • P
  • K
  • S
Phosphorus is crucial for energy transfer processes, root growth, and the initiation of flowering and fruiting.
Conservation tillage practices in cotton aim to:
  • Increase soil erosion.
  • Reduce soil organic matter.
  • Minimize soil disturbance and protect soil structure.
  • Increase labor requirements.
Conservation tillage methods like reduced tillage or no-tillage aim to leave crop residue on the soil surface and minimize plowing, improving soil health, water infiltration, and reducing erosion.
The main objective of earthing up in cotton is:
  • To apply fertilizers.
  • To provide support to the plant and improve drainage.
  • To facilitate mechanical harvesting.
  • To remove weeds only
Earthing up involves mounding soil around the base of the plants, which provides physical support, prevents lodging, and can improve drainage around the root zone.
Which of the following is a major sucking insect pest in cotton that transmits viral diseases and causes 'honey dew'?
  • Bollworm
  • Aphid
  • Jassid
  • Whitefly
Whiteflies are notorious for sucking sap, excreting 'honey dew' (leading to sooty mold), and transmitting cotton leaf curl virus disease (CLCuD). Aphids also cause honeydew but whitefly is a major vector for CLCuD. Jassids also suck sap but don't cause extensive honeydew like whiteflies.
Proper land preparation for cotton typically involves:
  • Deep plowing only once a year.
  • Leaving the soil undisturbed for multiple years.
  • Creating a fine seedbed free of clods and debris.
  • Flooding the field before planting.
A well-prepared seedbed ensures good seed-to-soil contact, uniform germination, and allows for proper root development. It should be free of large clods and crop residues.
The stage of cotton growth when squares develop into flowers is called:
  • Squaring
  • Boll formation
  • Flowering
  • Bursting
After the formation of squares (squaring stage), these buds open up into flowers, marking the flowering stage.
Which micronutrient deficiency can cause 'little leaf' symptom and stunted growth in cotton?
  • Fe
  • Mn
  • B
  • Zn
Zinc deficiency commonly manifests as 'little leaf' symptoms (reduced leaf size), chlorosis between veins (interveinal chlorosis), and stunted growth in various crops, including cotton.
The primary purpose of applying Farm Yard Manure in cotton fields is:
  • To act as a pesticide.
  • To kill weeds.
  • To improve soil physical properties, fertility, and microbial activity.
  • To provide only Nitrogen to the crop.
Organic manures like FYM improve soil structure, water holding capacity, aeration, provide a range of nutrients, and enhance beneficial microbial populations
Desi cotton varieties are generally known for their lint fiber which is:
  • Very long and fine.
  • Short and coarse.
  • Extra long staple
  • Only suitable for medical purposes.
Desi cottons have shorter and coarser fibers compared to the New World species like G. hirsutum or G. barbadense, but they possess strength and resilience.
Waterlogging in cotton fields is harmful because it:
  • Increases nutrient availability.
  • Improves soil aeration.
  • Restricts root respiration and nutrient uptake.
  • Promotes beneficial microbial growth.
Waterlogged conditions lead to oxygen depletion in the soil, which inhibits root respiration and negatively affects nutrient uptake by the plant, ultimately impacting growth and yield.
Which term refers to the percentage of open space in the soil, crucial for air and water movement?
  • Soil Texture
  • Soil Structure
  • Bulk Density
  • Porosity
Soil porosity is the volume percentage of pore spaces in the soil, which determines the amount of air and water the soil can hold.
The symptom of purplish discoloration on the underside of cotton leaves is indicative of a deficiency in:
  • N
  • P
  • S
  • Mn
Phosphorus deficiency often causes the accumulation of anthocyanin pigments, leading to purple or reddish discoloration, particularly on the veins and undersides of leaves, especially in cooler temperatures or young plants.
Which pest is a major threat to cotton bolls in India and whose management was the primary target of Bt cotton?
  • Aphid
  • Whitefly
  • Jassid
  • Bollworm
Various species of bollworms (like American bollworm, spotted bollworm, and pink bollworm) cause significant damage by feeding inside the bolls, severely impacting yield and quality. Bt cotton was developed primarily to control these pests.
Which spacing range is used for conventional cotton varieties under rainfed conditions?
  • 15 cm x 10 cm
  • 45 cm x 20 cm
  • 90 cm x 60 cm
  • 120 cm x 90 cm
Wider spacing like 90 cm x 60 cm is common for vigorous conventional or hybrid varieties, especially in rainfed areas, allowing better light penetration, air circulation, and root development to utilize available moisture. Denser spacing (B) might be used for shorter duration or less vigorous types or irrigated conditions. Very wide spacing (D) is less common for standard cultivation.
What is the approximate optimum soil pH range for cotton cultivation?
  • 4.0 - 5.0
  • 5.5 - 6.5
  • 6.0 - 7.5
  • 8.0 - 9.0
Cotton grows best in slightly acidic to neutral soils, with a pH range of 6.0 to 7.5 considered optimum for nutrient availability and plant growth.
Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) in cotton involves:
  • Using only chemical fertilizers.
  • Using only organic manures.
  • Combining the use of chemical fertilizers, organic manures, and biofertilizers based on soil test reports and crop needs.
  • Applying nutrients without considering soil health.
INM is a holistic approach that aims to maintain soil fertility and nutrient supply by optimizing the use of all sources – organic, inorganic, and biological – in an integrated manner.
Which disease is characterized by sudden wilting and drying of cotton plants, often with vascular discoloration in the stem?
  • Bacterial blight
  • Leaf spot
  • Anthracnose
  • Fusarium wilt
Fusarium wilt is a soil-borne fungal disease that invades the vascular system of the plant, blocking water transport and causing wilting, yellowing, and ultimately death, often with a characteristic brown discoloration inside the stem.
The term "carrying capacity" in the context of cotton pest management often refers to:
  • The maximum yield a field can produce.
  • The maximum population of a pest that the ecosystem can sustain without significant economic damage.
  • The amount of fertilizer the soil can hold.
  • The weight of cotton a boll can carry.
In pest management, carrying capacity relates to the pest population level that can be tolerated without causing economic losses, implying that complete eradication is often not necessary or feasible.
Which stage is most sensitive to water stress, leading to reduced number of bolls set?
  • Seedling stage
  • Vegetative growth stage
  • Flowering stage
  • Boll maturity stage
Water stress during the flowering stage can cause shedding of squares and flowers, directly reducing the potential number of bolls that will develop, thus impacting yield significantly
A common method to control weeds mechanically in cotton fields is:
  • Hand weeding
  • Broadcast application of herbicides
  • Using weed wipers
  • Applying soil fumigants
Hand weeding (manual removal of weeds) is a common and effective mechanical method, especially in smaller fields or where chemical options are limited.
What is the primary role of Boron (B) in cotton plant physiology?
  • Chlorophyll formation
  • Root development
  • Cell wall formation and pollen tube growth
  • Nitrogen fixation
Boron is essential for cell wall structure, sugar translocation, and plays a critical role in flowering, pollination, and seed/fiber development by influencing pollen germination and pollen tube growth. Deficiency can cause square and boll shedding.
The practice of growing a different crop species in the same field after the cotton harvest is called:
  • Intercropping
  • Relay cropping
  • Mono cropping
  • Crop rotation
Crop rotation involves growing different crops in a planned sequence on the same land over time, offering benefits like pest/disease control, nutrient cycling, and weed management.
Which fiber property is measured in terms of grams per tex or grams per denier and indicates the force required to break a bundle of fibers?
  • Fiber Length
  • Fiber Strength
  • Micronaire
  • Uniformity Ratio
Fiber strength is a crucial quality parameter measured by instruments like the HVI (High Volume Instrument) and expressed in units like tenacity (cN/tex or g/tex ).
The 'monopodial' branches in a cotton plant primarily contribute to:
  • Vegetative growth and structure
  • Flower and boll production
  • Root development
  • Water absorption
Monopodial branches grow vertically, similar to the main stem, and are primarily responsible for the plant's vegetative framework and height. Fruiting structures (squares, flowers, bolls) develop on sympodial branches.
Which bio fertilizer is commonly used to enhance Nitrogen availability in non-leguminous crops like cotton?
  • Rhizobium
  • Azospirillum
  • Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria
  • Mycorrhizae
Azospirillum and Azotobacter are free-living or associative nitrogen-fixing bacteria that can benefit non-leguminous crops like cotton by fixing atmospheric nitrogen. Rhizobium is specific to legumes. PSB and Mycorrhizae help with P uptake.
A late-season pest that attacks mature or nearly mature cotton bolls is the:
  • Jassid
  • Aphid
  • Pink bollworm
  • Thrips
The Pink bollworm larvae bore into the bolls, feeding on seeds and fibers, causing premature opening or rotting, staining, and significant damage to lint quality, especially in the later stages of boll development.
What is the likely consequence of excessive Nitrogen application in cotton?
  • Increased boll shedding
  • Reduced vegetative growth
  • Improved fiber quality
  • Increased resistance to sucking pests
While N is essential, excess application promotes excessive vegetative growth, delays maturity, increases susceptibility to pests (especially sucking pests and bollworms), and can lead to increased square and boll shedding due to nutritional imbalance and hormonal effects.
The term "seed cotton" refers to:
  • Cotton seeds after ginning
  • Cotton lint after ginning.
  • Harvested cotton bolls containing both lint and seed.
  • Cotton planting seed.
Seed cotton is the raw material harvested from the field – the fluffy lint still attached to the seeds within the opened boll. This is what goes into the gin.
Which method is useful for managing resistant weed populations in cotton?
  • Continuous use of the same herbicide.
  • Relying solely on one weed control method.
  • Integrating multiple weed control methods
  • Increasing the dosage of the ineffective herbicide.
Managing herbicide resistance requires diversification of weed control tactics. This includes rotating herbicides with different modes of action, incorporating cultural practices (like cover cropping, altering row spacing), and using mechanical or manual methods.
Soil solarization is a method primarily used for controlling:
  • Insect pests
  • Fungal pathogens and nematodes in the soil
  • Weeds above ground
  • Bird damage
Soil solarization involves covering moist soil with clear plastic sheets during hot periods to trap solar heat, raising soil temperatures high enough to kill many soil-borne fungi, bacteria, nematodes, and weed seeds.