Effect of different organic sources and PGR on growth and chlorophyll content in organic cotton under rainfed condition

Abstract

Field experiment was carried out during 2016 and 2017 to study the effect of organic sources on growth parameter of organic cotton under rainfed condition at Cotton Research Unit, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola during kharif season. The treatments consist of Absolute control (no organic/ Inorganics), recommended dose of nutrient through organics on P equivalent basis (FYM @12.5t ha-1), seed treatment (ST) of biofertilizer + foliar application of pink pigmented facultative metylobacterium (PPFM) @1 % at flowering (FL) & boll development (BD), Neem cake (NC) @ 250 kgha-1, green manuring of sunhemp (GMS) in between cotton rows (1:1), intercrop with blackgram (1:1), ST + PPFM @1 % at FL & BD+ NC, ST + PPFM @1 % at FL & BD + cotton+ sunhemp (GMS) (1:1), ST+ PPFM @1 % at FL & BD+ NC + cotton+ sunhemp (GMS) (1:1) and ST + PPFM @1 % at FL & BD+ NC + Intercrop with blackgram (1:1). The experimental soil was vertisol with clay loam in texture, low in available nitrogen (175.6 kg ha-1), medium in available phosphorus (15.10 kg ha-1) and very high in potassium content (375.4 kg ha-1). The soil pH, EC and organic carbon were 8.08, 0.34 dSm-1 and 3.80 g kg-1, respectively. The results revealed that among the different nutrient management through organic sources, the growth attributing characters viz. plant height, number of functional leaves and drymatter accumulation plant-1 at different growth stages were observed significantly highest with application of recommended dose of nutrient through organics on P equivalent basis (FYM @ 12.5 t ha-1). However, the chlorophyll content was more in ST+ PPFM @1 % at FL & BD+ NC + cotton + sunhemp (GMS) being statistically at par with application of RD of nutrient through organics on P equivalent basis (FYM @ 12.5 t ha-1).