Evaluating the Variation of Cotton Genotypes in Saline Environment

Salinity is a major problem which decreases crop production worldwide. Soil salinity of agriculture land has led to breakdown of ancient civilization. Even today it threatens agricultural productivity on 77 million hectares of agriculture land of which 45 million hectares (20% of irrigated area) is irrigated and 32 million hectares (2.1% of dry land) is unirrigated. Salinization is further spreading in irrigated land because of improper management of irrigation and drainage. Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is one of the main cash crops of Pakistan. It has played a significant role in industrial development and employment generation. It is known as backbone of Pakistan’s economy. Pakistan is one of the ancient homes of cultivated cotton 4th largest producer and the 3rd largest exporter of yarn in the world. Pakistan is by and large mono crop economy as cotton accounts for 7.5 percent of the value added in agriculture and about 1.6 percent to GDP. The crop was sown on the area of 3054 thousand hectares 0.6 percent less than last year (3072 thousand hectares).