Central Cotton Research Institute, Sakrand with the main objectives to carry out the basic/fundamental as well as applied research on cotton plant, in order to improve the socio-economic status of the farmers by boosting their per acre yield is progressing well in varietal developmental process.

In varietal evolution process, the institute has evolved CRIS-9, a high yielding variety in 1992. The proposal of another variety CRIS-5A (Marvi) was submitted before the variety approval committee, which recommended its approval as commercial variety to Sindh Seed Council in 1998. Four other high yielding varieties CRIS-19, CRIS-82, CRIS-133 and CRIS-134 have completed National Coordinated Varietal Trials (the final stage of variety test), their proposal for approval is under process.

CRIS-335, a very early maturing variety that opened 70 percent of total bolls after 110 days of planting as compared to 9 percent of NIAB-78, a widely grown variety in Sindh and 3 percent of CRIS-9 is also under evaluation process.

As regards development of insect resistant varieties, CCRI, Sakrand has developed CRIS-7A variety that is profusely hairy and is almost complete resistant against jassid.

Keeping in view the previous studies that okra leaf varieties are tolerant to some major insects like whitefly, heliothis and pink bollworm and boll rot disease, CCRI, Sakrand worked on breeding for okra leaf cotton varieties and has developed 11 new okra leaf strains.

This institute has worked on improvement in ginning outturn percent and has evolved four new strains CRIS-404, CRIS-405, CRIS-407 and CRIS-399 that possess ginning outturn from 40 to 44 percent. Similarly by continuous struggle this institute has also developed new long staple strains CRIS-399, CRIS-402, CRIS-155 and CRIS-157, which measure 33.5, 32.0, 31.5 and 31.0 mm staple length respectively.

The work on development of natural color cottons has also been carried out. Strains with eight different shades from khaki and green color cotton have been developed with improvement in yield, lint percent, staple length, and uniformity ratio.