Drought condition

Basically cotton is a drought resistant crop because of its very deep root system. Drought may occur at any time of the growth period, but the timing and intensity of drought play an important role in cotton production.

• A moderate drought in the early season may some times be beneficial.
• Drought at pre flowering stage has been some times observed to increase subsequent rate of flowering and yield.
• Drought during the early stages reduces the vegetative growth and finally the yield.
• Drought at reproductive stage results in square and boll drop because it decreases the rate of photosynthesis and stimulates the ABA and Ethylene production in young bolls.

• Sowing of crop on ridges.
• Cultivate drought resistant varieties.
• Maintain optimum plant stand
• Conserve soil moisture by soil mulching.
• Conservation of plant water by the use of anti transparents.

Excess Water (water logged conditions)

Both under irrigated and/or rainfed conditions when cotton crop is grown in vertisols, the problem of excess water leading to water logged conditions are very common, in the beginning of the crop season and during the crop growth period due to south west monsoon rains.

• Continuous and/or intermittent rains may delay sowing due to excess soil moisture conditions.
• If rains are received immediately after sowing germination gets effected due to anaerobic conditions - optimum plant stand could not be established.
• Heavy weed infestation is the problem due to moist soil conditions and mechanical/physical control measures could not be under taken
• Excessive water stagnation in the field cause wilting of crop plants which is otherwise called as physiological wilt due to anaerobic conditions of soil.
• Physiological wilt is caused due to retarding respiratory activity by roots.

• Layout the field into ridges and furrows and sow seed on ridges.
• Provide channels across the ridges and furrows at intermittent intervals to drain out excess water.
• Weed control by chemicals by pre emergence application.
• Moderately excess moisture conditions can be made good by application of urea as top dressing immediately after stopage of rains.
• When plants wilt due to excess soil moisture and lack of soil aeration. Spraying of urea 2% or Multi K 2% or polyfeed 2% at 10 days intervals an foliage helps the plants to require their turgidity.

Uses of Potatoes in Indian Kitchens

• Potato is used in Indian kitchens in one way or the other and no meal is considered perfect without potatoes.
• It is mixed in large number of dishes and hoped that these dishes whether exclusively potatoes or not, will form either a part of the basic diet or shall be used for special occasions, etc.



Item	Ingredients	Remarks
Potato-Cheese crispies	Medium sized cooked potato, Butter, Mint, Coriander chutney, Craft cheese	Grate boiled potatoes Beast in the butter when cold. Chopped craft cheese and a little mint coriander chutney Shape the mixture into small balls, toss them lightly and fresh breadcrumb and deep-fry them in ghee oil until golden brown.
Potato Cheese Splits	Medium Sized PotatoesCottage or Craft CheeseTomato sauce or Mango relishButter	Bake the washed potatoes until they feel soft when pinched or forked. Split each potato into halves, place a cheese slice, little chutney and ½ teaspoonful (2-3 g) butter or as per taste.
Banana Split	Banana per personCrushed potato Wafers (crisps)Whipped cream to decorate the bananasApple / Apricot or any Jam	Peel bananas. Brush with a thick coating of the jam. Coat with potato crisps. Pipe cream on each banana in a simple line. Serve immediately.
Potato Straws	Large PotatoesSaltIce WaterOil or Ghee for frying	Peel and cut potatoes into very thin long strips. Immerse them in a solution of ice water and salt for about ½ hour. Drain and dry them on a piece of cloth. Heat oil and deep-fry the potato straws until crisp and golden brown. Serve them sprinkled in the salt and pepper as per taste
Potato Crisp Praline	Potato WafersSugar	Heat sugar in a small thick pan, unless melted continue to heat until goes golden brown on very low heat. Crush the wafers with Belan and quickly stir into the sugar and pour at once in a thin layer over a greased baking sheet or Thali. Leave to set. Crush it when dry. Store in airtight jar until required.
Potato-Rice Hamburger	Boiled PotatoSalt Cooked salted RicePepper	Combine potato with salt & pepper Form a potato partly covered with mashed cooked rice to form flat balls Role in fine bread crumbs and fry.
Potato Balls	Boiled potatoesFresh bread slicesSalt Pepper Coriander, Chilli,Cumin, Anardana etc.	Mesh potatoes Soften the bread (after removing their all 4 crusts) in water and press them within palms to drain off excess water Mix this bread with potatoes and the herbal powder Make into patties of heart, leaf or any other shape Deep fry in extra hot medium.
Potato Soup	Potatoes Carrot Piement Fresh BeansWater Onion Chopped ButterCorn flourSour Cream Or CurdChopped Parsley Or CorianderSalt And Pepper	Peel and wash potato and other vegetables Cut potatoes and carrot into small pieces Boil in ½ liter water until soft Strain and put them into a pan Add other vegetables, 400 ml water and boil once In another frying pan, Saute onions in butter until brown Add the flour and saute again Mix cooked ingredients in a pan, Pepper to taste, mix curd, sprinkle with garam Masala and chopped parsley and serve hot.
Potato or Crunchy Omelet	Egg per person Course chopped potato Wafers or boiled grated potatoesPepper & SaltGhee	Beat well the eggs Mix with pepper and salt Heat the oil in a 8-10" pan and cover the base with thin layer of crushed wafers or grated potatoes Pour over the egg mixture, stir very lightly cook until golden brown and serve.
Baked Potatoes	Large potato per person ButterSauce, Chutney, Salt, Pepper	Wash and dry the potatoes Wrap in aluminum foil to be baked with hot coal or burnt cows dung or hot oven at 350 deg F. Pierce the fork while cooking to let the steam out Peel and serve with salt, butter, and sauce Use small potatoes for quicker cooking.
Potato Salad	Medium sized potatoesOnion choppedGarlic cloves chopped Green chillies chopped MayonnaiseOil & vinegar salad dressingTo lightly cover the salad	Peel , slice and boil potatoes until just cooked Do not overcook otherwise they will break Drain and mix potatoes with remaining ingredients except mayonnaise and chillies Add mayonnaise just before serving Garnish it with shaved carrot, coriander leaves or cabbage or chopped tomato. For oil and vinegar dressing: mix 2 tablespoonful salad oil and 1 tablespoonful vinegar, 1 spoonful salt + 2 spoonfuls freshly ground pepper and shake well.
Potato Pan Cakes	Potato Egg Onion gratedSalt Tomato Sauce or Mango Chutney	Wash, peel and finely grate potatoes in salted water Slieve grated potatoes Mix grated potatoes with onion in a bowl Add beaten eggs and mix well. Make into thick cake and fry until brown on both sides. Serve hot with chutney
Potato charchari	Medium sized potatoes, Small dry red chillies halved, Turmeric powder, Water, Coriander leaves chopped, Poppy seeds Salt Chilli powder Lime juice	Peel and cut potatoes after washing potatoes. Fry the poppy paste in same in the same oil after frying potatoes Add potatoes, salt, turmeric, chilli powder and fry 1-2 minutes. Add water, cover and simmer till potatoes are tender and water absorbed Add lime juice and serve hot.

Crispy Tips to Instantly Add the Potato Flavour

• Replace French fries with the wafers. Crumble the wafers on scrambled eggs or panion bhurji or salads for better taste.
• Enhance flavour of thick soups with a topping of broken potato crisps.
• Finally crushed potatoes are a better substitute for bread crumbs for the pakoras / bondas, etc.
• Add crunchiness of potato by layering broken potato wafers between butter and / or vegetables in the bread sandwiches.
• Plain cakes taste and look better if a mixture of chopped wafers and sugar is put on the top of plain cake before baking.