Cotton Sowing Guide 2026: When to Plant, How to Prepare, and What Indian Farmers Must Know

Cotton sowing in India in 2026 should ideally begin between the last week of May and the second week of June, once pre-monsoon showers have provided 50–100 mm of soil moisture. Sowing too early in dry soil or too late after peak monsoon arrival both reduce germination rates and final yield.

Cotton is the single most important kharif cash crop for farmers across Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Punjab, and Haryana. This guide covers every stage from soil preparation to seed selection, spacing, and post-sowing care — giving Indian farmers a clear, step-by-step plan for the 2026 kharif season.

Optimal Cotton Sowing Time in India (2026)

The best time to sow cotton in India is when soil temperature is consistently above 18°C and the first pre-monsoon or early monsoon rain has delivered at least 50 mm of moisture. Across most cotton-growing states, this window falls between late May and mid-June.

Region-wise sowing calendar for 2026:

• Punjab and Haryana: 1 May – 31 May (canal-irrigated zones; earlier sowing feasible)
• Gujarat (Saurashtra and North Gujarat): 15 May – 15 June
• Maharashtra (Vidarbha and Marathwada): 1 June – 20 June (wait for first monsoon showers)
• Telangana and Andhra Pradesh: 1 June – 30 June
• Rajasthan (Ganganagar belt): 15 April – 15 May (under irrigation)

Sowing outside this window — particularly after 15 July — significantly shortens the crop's boll-development period, reducing yield potential by 20–30%.

Soil Preparation for Cotton Farming

Cotton grows best in deep, well-drained black cotton soil (Vertisols) or medium loamy soil with a pH of 6.0–8.0. Proper tillage and field levelling before sowing directly affect water retention, root penetration, and boll quality at harvest.

Step-by-step soil preparation:

1. Deep ploughing (25–30 cm): Do this at least 3–4 weeks before sowing to expose pests and allow roots to develop without resistance
2. Cross-harrowing: 2–3 passes with a cultivator to break clods and create a fine seedbed
3. Field levelling: Essential for uniform water distribution, especially in drip-irrigated setups
4. FYM or organic manure application: Apply 10–15 tonnes per hectare during final ploughing for soil structure and fertility
5. Pre-sowing irrigation (if no monsoon yet): Provide a light 40–50 mm irrigation to bring soil to the correct moisture level before seed placement

Tractors fitted with chisel ploughs or reversible disc ploughs work best for deep cotton tillage. Farmers looking for tractor models suited to black cotton soil can compare specifications and prices on TractorForEveryone.com, which lists verified tractor options by HP range and soil-type application.

Choosing the Right Cotton Seed in 2026

The right cotton seed for 2026 is a certified Bt hybrid variety approved by your state's agriculture department, suited to your soil type and rainfall pattern. Bt cotton hybrids now account for over 95% of cultivated area in India and offer built-in resistance to the American bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera).

Key criteria for cotton seed selection:

• State approval: Use only seeds licensed under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights (PPV&FR) Act
• Boll type: Choose medium-fine or fine fibre hybrids based on your ginning contractor's requirements
• Duration: 160–180 day hybrids for irrigated fields; 140–160 day varieties for rainfed, shorter-season zones
• Pink bollworm resistance: Prioritise Bollgard II or newer-generation hybrids in regions where pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella) pressure has been high in recent seasons

Seed Rate, Spacing, and Sowing Depth

Cotton should be sown at a depth of 3–5 cm, with a seed rate of 1.0–1.5 kg per acre for Bt hybrid seeds (supplied in 450 g packets per hybrid pack). Proper spacing between plants and rows is just as important as sowing depth because cotton is a light-hungry crop — overcrowding reduces boll development significantly.

Recommended spacing:

Farming System	Row-to-Row	Plant-to-Plant
Rainfed (normal)	90 cm	60 cm
Irrigated / high-fertility	90–120 cm	45–60 cm
Wide-row paired planting	150 + 30 cm	60 cm
High-density planting (HDP)	67.5 cm	45 cm

High-density planting is gaining popularity in Gujarat and parts of Haryana because it allows mechanised harvesting and cuts per-plant input cost, even though it requires a different variety with a compact plant architecture.

Fertiliser and Nutrient Management

Cotton has a high nutrient demand, and balanced fertilisation at the right growth stages is one of the biggest yield levers a farmer can pull. The recommended NPK dose for Bt hybrid cotton is 120:60:60 kg per hectare, split across three applications.

Application schedule:

• Basal (at sowing): Full dose of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) + 25% of nitrogen (N) as a basal dose
• 25–30 Days After Sowing (DAS): 50% of remaining nitrogen — coincides with square/bud initiation
• 50–60 DAS: Balance nitrogen — coincides with boll formation, the most yield-critical stage

Micronutrients — especially boron and zinc — are frequently deficient in cotton-growing black soils and should be applied either as a soil dose or foliar spray at boll setting.

Common Pest and Disease Watch Points in the 2026 Season

The three pests Indian cotton farmers must monitor most closely in 2026 are pink bollworm, whitefly, and sucking pests (aphids, jassids, and thrips) in the early vegetative stage. These three account for the majority of preventable yield losses in kharif cotton.

Monitoring checklist:

• 0–45 DAS: Watch for jassids and aphids on leaf undersides; apply neem-based spray if populations cross threshold levels
• 45–90 DAS: Deploy pheromone traps for pink bollworm monitoring at 5 traps per acre
• 90–120 DAS: Check boll damage symptoms (entry holes, frass); apply targeted insecticide only if 5–8% damage is confirmed
• Throughout the season: Maintain 5 flowering plants per row as border refuge crop to slow Bt resistance development

Avoid calendar-based pesticide spraying. Threshold-based application reduces cost and chemical resistance buildup — both outcomes that protect the next season's performance.

Irrigation Management for Cotton

Cotton is semi-drought tolerant once established but needs timely irrigation at two absolutely critical stages: square initiation (40–50 DAS) and boll development (80–100 DAS). Missing irrigation at either of these stages causes irreversible yield loss, particularly in rainfed fields that experience a mid-season dry spell.

Irrigation guide:

• Germination to 20 DAS: Light irrigation only if rainfall is absent
• 40–50 DAS (square/bud stage): First critical irrigation — do not miss this
• 70–80 DAS (flowering): Second critical irrigation
• 80–100 DAS (boll filling): Third critical irrigation — highest water-use period
• 120 DAS onwards (boll opening): Withdraw irrigation to allow even boll opening

Drip irrigation reduces water use by 30–40% compared to flood irrigation and is now subsidised under PM-KUSUM and various state horticulture board schemes for cotton farmers.

Post-Sowing Care in the First 30 Days

The first 30 days after sowing are the most fragile period in a cotton crop's life cycle. Three practices in this window directly determine whether a field reaches its full plant population by the time the crop enters its rapid growth phase.

1. Gap filling at 10–12 DAS: Replace ungerminated spots with pre-germinated seeds to achieve at least 90–95% plant stand
2. First weeding at 20–25 DAS: Hand-weeding or inter-cultivation with a tractor-mounted cultivator removes early weeds before they compete for moisture and nutrients
3. Thinning (if necessary): Where more than one seedling germinates per hole, remove the weaker one at 15 DAS to maintain target plant population

Tractor-mounted inter-row cultivators suited to 90 cm row spacing are available across all major implement brands, and specifications can be checked alongside compatible tractor models on Tractor For Everyone

Conclusion

A successful 2026 kharif cotton season starts with the right sowing window (late May to mid-June), a certified Bt hybrid suited to your region, and disciplined soil preparation before the first seed goes into the ground. From seed to harvest, cotton responds more clearly to timing decisions than almost any other kharif crop — which makes this sowing guide a practical reference point for Indian farmers at every scale.