Two new cotton varieties developed

Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI) Multan has developed two new early maturing cotton varieties, which can give yield up to 45 maunds per acre.
This was disclosed by CCRI Director, Mohammad Islam Gill, while talking to newsman on Tuesday.
He said the new seeds "CIM-506" and "CIM-707" had been recommended to the growers for cultivation this year, and added sowing of the new crop was likely to start from May 1, and will continue till the end of the month.
Mohammad Gill said both varieties were early maturing and were harvested by October 15, providing sufficient time to cultivate the wheat on the vacated land.
He said since CIM-506 and CIM-707 had bushy plants, they had potential to bear more bolls than existing varieties do, and added because of their hairy leaves they were unpalatable for pests and insects, that suck juice from the leaves of the plant.
The CCRI director said CIM-506's per acre yield had been noted at 40 to 45 maund, while that of CIM-707 at 35 to 40 maunds.
He said former plant bore bigger boll size of four grams and its ginning out-turn (GOT), ie, lint ratio, was 38.5 percent, while its staple length was 28.6 millimetre and fineness 4.5 micro-nair per inch.
Gill said CIM-707 had 38.1 percent GOT, with 32.2 millimetre (1.25 inches) staple length and 40.2 micronaire fineness.
He said since picking of both the varieties was completed before October 15, their plants escape attack of pink and other bollworm.
The cotton researcher said that due to early maturity and picking the soil was made available for the wheat cultivation. This wheat fetches more production due to longer space in the fields.
Over 9.750 million cotton bales had reached the ginneries till April 1, according to a report issued by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA).
The textile mill-owners by that time had bought 8.34 million bales, while the unsold stocks amounted to 1.23 million bales.