1 Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab; 2 ICAR- Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. * Corresponding author email: ramaan180103@yahoo.com Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 94 (2): 119–128, February 2024/Review Article https://doi.org/10.56093/ijas.v94i2.141408 Climate-smart cotton (Gossypium herbaceum) crop production in Punjab: A comprehensive review of sustainable management practices ABHISHEK DHIR 1 , R K PAL 1 , P K KINGRA 1 and RAMANJIT KAUR 2 * ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India Received: 24 August 2023; Accepted: 14 November 2023 ABSTRACT The growth and productivity of cotton (Gossypium herbaceum L.) crop are greatly influenced by major fluctuations in the local weather. The output of cotton is negatively impacted by extended periods of unfavourable weather, despite the crop's apparent relative resistance to heat and drought. Among various cotton growing states in India, Gujarat often leads as the highest cotton-producing state in the country followed by Maharashtra, Telangana, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. These states collectively contribute more than 65% to India's cotton production. In Punjab, the optimal sowing window for cotton spans from the 1 st April to 15 th May. Deviating from this recommended time frame, be it through excessively early or late sowing, correlates with compromised crop establishment and reduced productivity. Temperature thresholds dictate progression of the cotton crop's key stages. For germination, a threshold temperature of 16°C is required, while the range of 21 to 27°C is conducive to vegetative growth, and 27 to 32°C supports reproductive development. The diurnal/night time temperature for fostering cotton root growth resides within 30°C/22°C to 35°C/27°C. Elevated temperatures (40°C/32°C), even under adequate water and nutrient conditions, results in the emergence of shallow root systems. Strategic measures encompassing suitable sowing dates, precise plant spacing, favourable row orientations, judicious irrigation techniques and mulching can effectively temper the influence of climate change on cotton output. Furthermore, the application of crop simulation models and access to timely, accurate weather forecasts and agro-advisories equips decision-makers with invaluable insights for short-term operational planning. Keywords: Climate change, Cotton productivity, Crop simulation, GIS, Microclimatic modifications Modeling, Remote sensing Climate change is a long-term, continuous shift in average weather patterns. It is brought on by changes in the environment, the earth's orbit around the sun, or atmospheric alterations made by humans (Kirby et al. 2016). Moreover, strong evidence suggests that human driven changes to the atmosphere are to be blamed for the unprecedented rate of temperature rise. Since the world is predicted to reach 1.5 o C barrier during the next two decades, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2021), declared that only the most drastic reductions in carbon emissions going ahead will help to prevent environmental catastrophe. Climate change is an important challenge in the coming decades for sustainable agricultural production, especially in mid- century when the world’s food demand is expected to be doubled (Kaur et al. 2023a). Enhanced greenhouse effect due to anthropogenic activities has resulted in climatic changes and then adverse impacts on agricultural productivity (Kingra 2017). Minimum temperature in Punjab is increasing @0.05 o C/year in all the agroclimatic regions during both kharif and rabi (Kingra et al. 2017) as well as annually (Kingra et al. 2018). As a result, increase in intensity and frequency of extreme weather events in the vacant past, has exerted significant effect on crop productivity (Kingra et al. 2019). Cotton is an important rainy (kharif) season crop being grown in more than 70 countries around the globe and accounts for 75% of the fibre used in the textile industry with 4% contribution to GDP. India is one of the world's top cotton producers, accounting for around 23% of global cotton output (Anonymous 2022). India encompasses 10 primary cotton-producing states, categorized into three distinct zones: the Northern zone, the Central zone, and the Southern zone. Among these three cotton producing zones, states in central zone i.e. Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh are the highest cotton producing states in country shares more than 65% India’s cotton production (BN_Cotton.pdf (nfsm.gov.in)). Cotton is the second most important kharif crop in Punjab after rice widely known as the White Gold or King of fibres and also the most important cash crop in the state's south-western (S-W) 3