Advantages of cultivating cotton organically

Conventional Cotton Organic Cotton

Environment • Pesticides kill beneficial insects • Increased bio-diversity
• Pollution of soil and water • Eco-balance between pests and
• Resistance of pests beneficial insects
• No pollution
Health • Accidents with pesticides • No health risks from pesticides
• Chronic diseases (cancer, infertility, • Healthy organic food crops
weakness)
Soil fertility • Risk of declining soil fertility due to • Soil fertility is maintained or improved
use of chemical fertilizers and poor by organic manures and crop rotation
crop rotation
Market • Open market with no loyalty of the • Closer relationship with the market
buyer to the farmer partner.
• Dependency on general market rates • Option to sell products as ‘organic’ at
• Usually individual farmers higher price
• Farmers usually organized in groups
Economy • High production costs • Lower costs for inputs
• High financial risk • Lower financial risk
• High yields only in good years • Satisfying yields once soil fertility has
improved

Organic Cotton Training Manual

 Successful organic cotton farming with a system approach

Capacity building Improving

and experimenting soil fertility

Documentation Crop rotation &

and inspection crop diversity

Timely and proper Selecting the right

picking cotton varieties

Monitoring Organic
of pests manures

Appropriate pest Timely weeding and Appropriate

management intercult. operations irrigation

Organic Cotton Training Manual

Organic standards in cotton farming

„ No application of any synthetic fertilizers

such as urea, NPK, DAP etc.
„ No application of synthetic pesticides
(including herbicides, insecticides,
fungicides) or growth promoters.
„ No use of genetically modified organisms
(GMO) such as Bt-cotton varieties.
„ Crop rotation (no cotton after cotton in the
same field in two subsequent years) and/or
intercropping.
„ Prevent spray drift from neighbouring
conventional fields, e.g. by growing border
crops.
„ Maintain records and documents for
inspection and certification.

Organic Cotton Training Manual

Internal control and external certification – building trust

Consumers

Retail

External Trust
Certifier Processing
& Trade

Internal Control System

(ICS)

(adapted from IFOAM)

Organic Cotton Training Manual
 Requirements of the cotton crop
Ideal climatic conditions
ƒ High temperature (ideally 30°C)

ƒ Long vegetation period

ƒ Ample sunshine

ƒ Dry climate

ƒ Min. 500 mm rainfall or irrigation

Ideal soil conditions Crop development

ƒ Deep soils ƒ Strong root growth in first two weeks
ƒ Heavy clay soils, ideally black ƒ Natural bud shedding (only approx. 1/3
of flowers develop bolls)
cotton soils (vertisols)
ƒ Plant compensates for damage through
ƒ No water logging
increased growth
Organic Cotton Training Manual
 Selecting the right cotton varieties
American Upland cotton (G. hirsutum) Indian ‘desi’ varieties (G. arboreum, G. herbaceum)

Advantages: Advantages:

ƒ High yields ƒ Better drought resistance

ƒ Longer staple ƒ More pest tolerant

(higher price)

Disadvantages: Disadvantages:

larger leaves ƒ Needs more water ƒ Smaller yields

ƒ Needs more manure ƒ Mostly shorter staple less leaf area
(lower price)
ƒ More prone to pests

Suitable for: Suitable for:

ƒ Deep soils ƒ Shallow soils

ƒ Heavy soils ƒ Sandy soils

ƒ Good irrigation ƒ Little/no irrigation

Organic Cotton Training Manual

 Soil types and their management
Light soils Heavy soils
Shallow; roots do not penetrate very deeply Deep; roots penetrate deeply
Light colours Dark colour; cracks when dry
Sandy; easy to cultivate Rich in clay; muddy when wet, hard when dry
Low water retention capacity Æ affected by High water retention capacity Æ less risk of
drought! being affected by drought
Nutrients easily get leached out Æ need Very fertile Æ need sufficient manures
sufficient compost; supply of mineral because of high productivity
fertilizers in several doses
Drought-resistant crops: sorghum, maize, High performance crops: chilli, soya bean,
pigeon pea (desi varieties), moong, millet, banana, sugarcane, hybrid cotton varieties,
castor; desi cotton varieties pigeon pea (hybrid varieties); wheat
Intercrop to reduce risk of crop failure Intensive crop rotation; green manures
Compost and mulching to improve water Compost to activate soil life and improve soil
holding and nutrient supply structure
Shallow ploughing, little soil cultivation Deep ploughing, frequent intercultural
operations (shallow soil cultivation)
Increase infiltration with trenches and bunds Risk of waterlogging!

Organic Cotton Training Manual

 Why organic matter is so important

A loose and soft Good aeration and good

soil structure infiltration of rain and
with a lot of irrigation water
cavities

Non-visible parts of
organic matter act like
Visible parts of a glue, sticking soil
organic matter act particles together
like tiny sponges

Soil organic matter provides

Many beneficial soil a suitable environment for
organisms such as earth soil organisms
worms feed on organic
material

Organic Cotton Training Manual

 Crop rotation – rotation crops
Rotation Type 1st year 2nd year 3rd year
Pulses + cereals Cotton Pulses (soya, moong Cotton
(winter crop: beans, cow pea, (winter crop: wheat
wheat or pulses) black gram, pigeon or pulses)
pea), maize or
sorghum
Vegetable Cotton Chilli, onion or other Cotton
(winter crop: intensive vegetable (winter crop: wheat
wheat or pulses) crop or pulses)

Sugar cane Cotton Sugar cane Sugar cane

Diverse rotation Cotton Sesame, safflower, Pulses (moong,

(from Tanzania) sorghum or maize chick pea, cow pea,
pigeon pea,
groundnut)
Rotation with Cotton Herbs (anise, basil, Maize with clover
herbal plants (winter crop: fennel etc.) intercrop
(from Egypt) wheat or pulses)

Organic Cotton Training Manual

 Green manures and intercrops
Green manure

Sowing the green manure crop Mulching the green manure crop

Intercrop

Sowing the intercrop Harvesting the intercrop

Organic Cotton Training Manual

 Timing of nutrient supply in the cotton crop
Plant Nutrient Demand and Supply
Maximum Nutrient Demand
Demand Nutrient Supply
Demand partly
Basal covered
application

Demand fully
covered
Second
Top Top flush
dressing dressing

Time
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at

i
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ki
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oo
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r
m

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n tin
Co

Organic Cotton Training Manual

 Disturbance of nutrient uptake

Lack of
water Oversupply of nutrients:
Too much N, P, K prevent
Water- the uptake of Ca, Mg, Fe,
logging Zn etc.

K N

Ca P

S Zn
B Fe Soil
Mineral Mg Organic
Particles
Matter

Organic Cotton Training Manual

 Nitrogen immobilisation in soil Æ retarded growth
Symptoms Preventive measures
„ Yellowish leaves „ Remove sturdy crop
residues (stalks) from
„ Stunted growth the field and compost
„ Delayed development them
„ Ensure that the
compost is well
The reason decomposed
„ Apply compost at least
Decomposable material in
the soil (half rotten two weeks before
compost or manure, sowing
straw, crop residues) „ Apply sufficient
nitrogen-rich organic
The decomposition of manures (e.g. de-oiled
carbon-rich organic cakes)
material requires „ Note: Organic manures
nitrogen need 1-3 weeks until
they release nitrogen
Little organic material with „ Shallow soil cultivation
high nitrogen content helps to accelerate
(e.g. oil cake) decomposition of
organic matter

Organic Cotton Training Manual

 Organic manures and natural mineral fertilizers for cotton

Manure/Fertilizer Comment Nitrogen Phosphate Potash

(total N) (P2O5) (K2O)
Compost Soil improvement 0.6 - 1.5 % 0.5 - 1.0 % 0.5 - 2.0 %

Farmyard manure Less stable humus 0.7 - 1.5 % 0.5 - 0.9 % 0.4 - 1.5 %

Vermi-compost Very stable humus 0.6 - 1.5 % 0.4 - 0.9 % 0.5 - 1.0 %

De-oiled Castor N- and P-supply 4.5 - 6.0 % 0.8 - 1.8 % 1.3 - 1.5 %

Cane press mud Soil improvement 1.4 - 1.8 % 0.1 – 1.0 % 0.4 - 0.6 %

Rock phosphate P-supply, in compost 0 15 - 30 % 0

heap
Muriate of potash Natural potassium 0 0 ca. 60 %
fertilizer
Wood ash K, Mg, Ca, Mg etc. 0 1-3% 1–8%

Note: Figures are given in percent of dry matter. The nutrient contents vary from source to source.

Organic Cotton Training Manual

 Compost and farmyard manure – proper handling pays off!

Nutrient contents of different compost and dung heaps collected in the Nimar region, India

Manure / Compost type Nitrogen Phosphate Potash

(total N) (P2O5) (K2O)
Cow dung heap, well maintained 1.5% 0.7% 0.8%

Cow dung heap, poorly 0.9% 0.5% 1.2%

maintained (too wet)
Compost in good condition 1.3% 0.9% 0.8%
(with heat process and turning)

Compost, poorly maintained 0.8% 0.5% 0.5%

(too dry)

Vermi-compost in good condition 1.5% 0.9% 0.7%

Vermi-compost, poorly maintained 0.6% 0.4% 0.7%

Organic Cotton Training Manual

 Setting up a compost heap
• Choose a shady location
Collect the
composting • Collect plenty of plant material
material.
• Pile it up separately
• Chop coarse material

Set up the heap from • Humidify the materials

bottom:
• Pile them up loosely in layers
• N-rich material
• Coarse C-rich material 1-1.5 m • Cover with earth or straw
• Twigs and branches
1-2 m

Turn the heap • When temperature declines.

• after 2–3 weeks • Outside material goes inside.
• after 1-2 months

Let it rest to mature

for up to 3 months.
soil layer

Organic Cotton Training Manual

Nitrogen fixation through leguminous plants

„ There is plenty of nitrogen in the air

(78% nitrogen gas)
„ Leguminous plants fix nitrogen
from the air and make it available to
the plant
„ Examples: pigeon pea, soya bean,
moong, cow pea, chick pea, daal
etc.
„ The fixation is done by bacteria
living in root nodules (Rhizobium
species)
„ The nitrogen fixed by the
leguminous crop gets available to
the associated or following crop
(e.g. cotton)
„ If a lot of fertilizer is available in the
soil, legumes fix less nitrogen
Nodules

Organic Cotton Training Manual

 Keeping your cotton crop healthy

Select a variety Diverse crop rotation

suitable for the location
Intercropping, green manure

Not too much manure

(Æ tender leaves attract pests; Encourage soil aeration
vegetative growth instead (e.g. shallow hoeing)
of bolls)
Promote natural enemies
of pests through diverse
Balanced nutrition
cropping patterns
(compost, organic manures)

Avoid waterlogging
Enrich the soil
(Æ boll shedding, less yield)
with organic matter
Avoid water shortage

Organic Cotton Training Manual

 Important cotton pests
Bollworms and other caterpillars Sucking pests and other pests

American bollworm Cutworm Cotton aphid Spider mites Grasshoppers

(Heliothis armigera) (Agrotis spp.) (Aphis gossypii) (Tetranychus spp.) (Locusta spp.)

Pink bollworm Armyworm Whitefly Cotton jassids Termites

(Pectinophora gos.) (Spodoptera spp.) (Bemisia tabaci) (Amrasca devestans) (various spp.)

Spiny Bollworm Cotton leafworm Cotton stainer Thrips Root knot nematodes
(Earias spp.) (Alabama argillacea) (Dysdercus spp.) (Thripidae) (Meloidogyne spp.)

Photos (top left to bottom right): Paolo Mazzei, Clemson University, Roland Smith, Mississippi State University, James Smith, Winfield Sterling, Douglas
Ferguson, Insectcorner, P. Room, Scott Bauer, Cotton SA, University of Georgia, Frank Eyhorn, Insectcorner, Clemson University
Organic Cotton Training Manual
 Pest management in cotton
Pest Preventive measures Direct control measures

Bollworms ƒ Trap crops: sunflower, okra, castor ƒ Bt-spray, NPV spray

(Helicoverpa ƒ Hand-pick damaged capsules ƒ Neem, botanical preparations
and others) ƒ Encourage natural enemies ƒ Buttermilk spray
ƒ Remove cotton stalks ƒ Pheromone traps, light traps
ƒ Cattle grazing after picking is over ƒ Trichogramma cards
Aphids, ƒ Intercrop of moong, cow pea etc. ƒ Neem, botanical preparations
jassids, ƒ Avoid high manure application (chilli, sweet flag, turmeric etc.)
thrips, ƒ Avoid waterlogging and water ƒ Soft soap spray
whitefly shortage ƒ Cow urine spray
(Bemisia) ƒ Promote natural enemies by growing ƒ Potato starch spray
flowering plants ƒ Yellow sticky traps
Cotton ƒ Frequent soil cultivation to destroy the ƒ Pyrethrum spray
stainers eggs (also along field borders) ƒ Botanical sprays (neem, custard
(Dysdercus) ƒ Encourage birds (turmeric-coloured apple, garlic bulb, sweet flag,
rice, bird perches, trees) sweet basil, Derris species)
ƒ Avoid stand-over of cotton ƒ Grazing of chickens
Cutworms ƒ Early soil cultivation ƒ Apply neem cake into the soil
(Agrotis ƒ Remove weeds in and around fields ƒ Pyrethrum, Derris or thyme spray
and other ƒ Encourage birds, spiders etc. (bird ƒ Cutworm baits
species) perches, trees, hedges) ƒ Hand picking or Bt-spray at night

Organic Cotton Training Manual

 Natural enemies of major cotton pests
Assassin bugs
Parasitoids (Prithesancus spp.)
(e.g. parasitic
wasps)

Ants
Green lacewing Bollworms
(Chrysoperla spp.)

Damsel bug Big-eyed bugs

(Nabis spp.) (Geocoris spp.)

Aphids
Spiders
Ladybird beatle
(Harmonia spp.)

Hoverfly Birds
Cutworms
(Eristalis spp.,
Volucella spp.)

Photos: left: WURL, Insectcorner (3), J.K. Lindsey; middle: Paolo Mazzei, Roland Smith, Clemson University; right: Joseph Berger, Bradley Higbee,
University of Tennessee (2), Olivier Olgiati
Organic Cotton Training Manual
 Direct pest management methods
Biological control
„ Trichogramma cards (parasitic wasp)
„ Bt-spray (Bacillus thuringensis)
„ NPV (Nuclear polyhedrosis virus)
Trichogramma
„ Beauvaria bassiana (fungus)

Natural pesticides
„ Neem
„ Botanical mixtures
„ Buttermilk spray
Giant milkweed
„ Soft soap spray

Mass trapping
„ Light traps
„ Sticky traps
Pheromone trap „ Pheromone traps

Organic Cotton Training Manual

 Monitoring pests - Economic threshold

Scouting for pests with the pegboard

Pest control only if pest populations
• •••••••••••••• •••••••••••••••• are beyond the economic threshold
• •••••••••••••• •

(Graphics: gtz-IPM Project Shinyanga, Tanzania)

Organic Cotton Training Manual

Soil cultivation and weed management
Preparing the field
„ Early ploughing to expose pests to
the sun
„ Earthing up ridges
„ Soil cultivation speeds up the
decomposition of organic matter

Sowing
„ Appropriate spacing
„ 2-4 seeds per spot
„ Gap filling with trap crops
„ Timely thinning

Weed management
„ Crop rotation prevents weeds
„ Weeds can also be beneficial
„ Timely intercultural
operations

Organic Cotton Training Manual

 Low-cost drip irrigation in cotton

Normal drip system “Easy Drip” system “Pepsee” drip system

(approx. 1100 US$ per ha) (approx. 400 US$ per ha) (approx. 220 US$ per ha)

Organic Cotton Training Manual

 The cotton processing chain
Picking Storing Selling

Ginning Cleaning Collecting

Baling Spinning Fabric formation

Retail Stitching Dying/Finishing

Photos:
Remei AG

Organic Cotton Training Manual

 Strategies in organic cotton farming

Strategy I: Intensive organic Strategy II: Low input, low risk

ƒ High yields, but relatively high ƒ Smaller yields, but also lower
production costs production costs, thus still good
income
ƒ High loss in case crop fails
ƒ Lower loss in case crop fails

Production costs Revenues Production costs Revenues

Organic Cotton Training Manual

Farming intensities in conventional and organic cotton production

Intensity of the production usual conversion path

minor conversion path
High input
conventional Conversion
paths
High input
organic

Low input
conventional
Low input
organic

Traditional, Traditional,
not certifiable certifiable

“Organic by default”

Conventional Organic
Agriculture Agriculture
Organic Cotton Training Manual
 Success factors in the conversion to organic cotton farming
Getting ready
„ Adequate training in organic agriculture
and organic cotton production
„ Involve the family in decision making
„ Develop strategies to cope with initial
drop in yields and higher labour
requirement
„ Competent and timely advice on organic
crop management
„ Regular exchanges with experienced
organic farmers

Adapting the production system

„ Try out organic technologies on small
plots to gain experience
„ Identify suitable crop rotation, green
manures and intercrops
„ Ensure sufficient input of organic
matter (if necessary from outside the
farm)

Organic Cotton Training Manual

 The role of women in organic cotton farming

Impact on women Involvement of women

„ Work load
„ Decision making

„ New activities
„ Role sharing

„ Food crops „ Experience

sharing

Support to women
„ Training on organic
farming „ Forming of
women’s groups
„ Learning new skills

Organic Cotton Training Manual