Cotton — 7Harvest, storage & transport

• Picking kapas (seed cotton)

  Pick at frequent intervals, less than 7 days apart. Pick in the morning hours, up to 10–11 a.m., while there is moisture, so that dry leaves and bracts do not stick to the kapas. Pick kapas only from well-burst bolls, and leave the bracts on the plants. Sort good, puffy kapas and keep them separate from stained, discoloured and insect-attacked kapas.

  Pending expert review

  Source

  Crop Production Guide – Agriculture 2020 (Directorate of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Cotton – Harvesting, p. 265

  Region

  Tamil Nadu

  Last updated

  2026-11-04

• Drying and keeping kapas

  Dry the kapas in the shade immediately after picking; if it is not dried immediately, its colour changes. Do not dry kapas in direct sun, as fibre strength and lustre will be lost. Grade the kapas into good and second quality if not sorted at picking. Spread a thin layer of dry sand on the ground and keep the kapas over it.

  Pending expert review

  Source

  Crop Production Guide – Agriculture 2020 (Directorate of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Cotton – Post harvest operations, p. 265

  Region

  Tamil Nadu

  Last updated

  2026-11-04