LRA 5166
A long-staple, non-Bt Gossypium hirsutum release that predates the Bt era — still sown as the mandatory refuge crop around Bt hybrid fields, and by growers who want to save their own seed.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Cotton
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 165–175 days
- Expected yield
- 12–15 q/ha (seed cotton)
- Suitable soil
- Clay / black soil
- Release
- AICCIP, Coimbatore — originally released for Tamil Nadu, later grown more widely for its adaptability
About this variety
LRA 5166 is an older American cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) release from the All India Coordinated Cotton Improvement Project (AICCIP), Coimbatore — bred and originally recommended for Tamil Nadu before its wide adaptability carried it into other cotton belts. It is reported to trace to a three-way cross involving Laxmi cotton, Reba B-50 (a Central African line) and AC 122. Being non-Bt and long-staple, it now does double duty: sown by growers who want to save their own seed, and planted as the mandatory refuge crop bordering Bt hybrid fields.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeJune–July, with picking running December–January in its traditional growing tracts
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
165–175 days
Expected yield
12–15 q/ha (seed cotton)
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
- No built-in bollworm protection — needs its own spray schedule
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Non-Bt and open-pollinated, so seed can be saved and re-sown year to year
- Long-staple fibre with a track record of wide adaptability across cotton tracts beyond its original Tamil Nadu recommendation
- Doubles as the compliant refuge crop for growers who also plant a Bt hybrid nearby
Things to consider
- No built-in bollworm protection — needs its own spray schedule
- Lower seed-cotton yield ceiling than a modern Bt hybrid under high-input, irrigated management
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Gujarat
- Maharashtra