Advances in Cotton Science : Botany, Production, and Crop Improvement

Cotton is one of the most important fiber and cash crops throughout the world, and it plays a dominant role in the industrial and agricultural economies of many countries. Here is a rich resource of information on the cultivation and production of cotton. This volume provides an overview of the origin and evolution of cotton and its physiological basis and characterization, and goes on to discuss methods of cultivation, biotic stresses, and harvesting and postharvest technology. The volume addresses new advances in research for best cultivation methods, effective utilization of resources, and operations for achieving higher yields, thus achieving higher productivity. The authors take an interdisciplinary approach, providing valuable information necessary to increase cotton productivity to meet the world’s growing demands.

Ratikanta Maiti, PhD, DSc, was a world-renowned botanist and crop physiologist. He worked at the former Jute Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR), India; ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics); and Vibha Seeds; Hyderabad, India. He also worked for more than 25 years as a professor and research scientist at three different universities in Mexico.

Ch. Aruna Kumari, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Crop Physiology at Agricultural College, Jagtial, Professor Jaya Shankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU), India. She also worked at various ICAR institutes and at Vibha Seeds. She is the author of several book chapters and has also co-edited several books.

Abul Kalam Samsul Huda, PhD, is currently Associate Professor at the School of Science & Health at Western Sydney University, Australia. He was previously affiliated with the South Australian Department of Primary Industries; the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, India; the University of California, Davis, USA; the University of Sydney, Australia; and Texas A&M University, Temple, Texas, USA. He has published many research articles and has handled many research projects, attracting over $5 million in research funding.

Debashis Mandal, PhD, is Assistant Professor in the Department of Horticulture, Aromatic and Medicinal Plants at Mizoram University, Aizawl, India. He has published over 35 research papers and book chapters in reputed journals as well as several books. He is currently chief editor for four volumes on fruits: production, processing and marketing, and associate editor for four volumes on production, processing, and therapeutics of medicinal and aromatic plants.

Sameena Begum is a young researcher in genetics and plant breeding. During her master’s degree program, she conducted research on combining ability, gall midge resistance, and yield and quality traits in hybrid rice (Oryza sativa L.) and identified two highly resistant hybrids.