Productivity, profitability and uptake of nutrients by BT. cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) as affected by nutrient omission

Abstract

A field experiment on nutrient omission on productivity of Bt. cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) was conducted during 2015-16 on loamy sand at Agronomy Instructional Farm, C. P. College of Agriculture, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar. The experiment had 7 treatments laid out in randomized block design with four replications. Treatment comprised omission of N, P, K, S and Zn, optimum plane of nutrient ion (240-40-40-15-02 kg N-P-K-S-Zn/ha) and control (RDF: 240-40 kg N-P/ha). Nitrogen proved the most limiting nutrient and there was a reduction in the seed cotton yield to the tune of 26.3%, 19.1% and 10.7% due to N, P and K omission, respectively. The reduction in the seed cotton yield due to S (8.2%) and Zn (3.4%) omission was marginal. Total uptake of N, P, K and S by Bt. cotton were significantly reduced due to N and P omission treatments. Application of optimum plane of nutrition recorded significantly higher soil available N, P, K and S status after harvest of Bt. cotton. Higher net profit of 80672/ha was earned from cotton in the optimum nutrition i.e. N-P-K-S-Zn.