Suraj (desi, non-Bt)
A desi (Gossypium arboreum) open-pollinated variety — lower yield ceiling than a Bt hybrid, but the seed can be saved and it needs far less input.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Cotton
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 150–160 days
- Expected yield
- 8–10 q/ha, stable under stress
- Suitable soil
- Sandy / light soil
About this variety
Suraj belongs to the desi cotton group — Gossypium arboreum, the species long grown across the drier north-west cotton belt before American (G. hirsutum) hybrids took over most of the area. Independent trials at ICAR-CICR, Nagpur have recorded it as a solid, dependable yielder among desi entries. Public, verifiable detail on Suraj specifically (its exact release year and breeding institute) is thin online, and is not repeated here to avoid stating anything as fact that could not be confirmed against a primary source — the description below stays general to the desi cotton class it belongs to.
Key characteristics
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
150–160 days
Expected yield
8–10 q/ha, stable under stress
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
- Better sucking-pest tolerance than American cotton
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- A desi (G. arboreum) variety — hairy, more upright leaves than American cotton give it naturally better tolerance of sucking pests like jassids
- Seed can be saved and re-sown, unlike a hybrid, and the crop needs far less irrigation and input than a Bt hybrid
Things to consider
- Yield ceiling is well below a Bt hybrid — this is a lower-input, lower-output trade-off, not a direct substitute where irrigation and inputs are already assured
- No built-in bollworm protection — needs its own spray schedule for that pest group
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Punjab
- Haryana
- Rajasthan