K 12 (TKA 9102/3) - A high yielding superior medium staple Gossypium arboreum cotton variety suited for rainfed vertisol tracts of Tamil Nadu

Abstract

TKA 9102/3 is a high yielding superior medium staple G.arboreum cotton culture developed at Agricultural Research Station, Kovilpatti in the year 2017 for winter rainfed vertisol tracts of Tamil Nadu. It is also suitable for low rainfall zone (<250 mm rainfall during cropping season), marginal fertility areas of coastal belt and black cotton soil tracts of Tamil Nadu. TKA 9102/3 is a hybrid derivative of the cross between K 11 and K 9. It has recorded an average seed cotton yield of 193 kg/ha as against the existing variety K 11 (1066 kg/ha). The yield of TKA 9102/3 is 11.9 per cent higher than K 11. TKA 9102/3 recorded moderate boll weight (2.7 g) and superior medium staple fibre quality of 27.7 mm 2.5 % span length and bundle strength of 22.1 g/tex than check K 11 (24.0 mm and 21.4 g/tex). TKA 9102/3 is resistant to leaf hopper and moderately resistant to thrips. It is also tolerant to drought and has recorded the maximum yield potential of 2365 kg kapas per hectare under rainfed condition. Hence, the culture TKA 9102/3 was released as K 12 for the coastal rainfed and black cotton soil areas of Tamil Nadu during 2017 from Agricultural Research Station, Kovilpatti.