Soil moisture content as influenced by varied levels of irrigation and nitrogen in Bt cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) grown in alfisols of Southern Telangana

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted during kharif 2014 and 2015 at Agricultural Research Institute, Rajendranagar to assess the influence of irrigation schedule and nitrogen level for Bt cotton in alfisols in Southern Telangana. Irrigation scheduled at 0.8 IW/CPE (I1) recorded higher soil moisture content in 0-30 cm depth before and after irrigation. Rainfed (I3) cotton registered higher mean water use efficiency of 3.05 kg ha-1 mm-1 followed by irrigation at 0.4 IW/CPE (I2) and 0.8 IW/CPE (I1) which registered 3.00 kg ha-1mm-1 and 2.74 kg ha-1 mm-1, respectively. Higher soil moisture content before and after irrigation throughout the crop growing period in 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm soil depth and higher water use efficiency (2.88 and 3.90 kg ha-1mm-1) was recorded with N4 (225 kg ha-1) over lower levels of nitrogen application. From the experiment, considering the net returns and B:C ratio it can be concluded that, higher seed cotton yield can be obtained with the irrigation scheduled at 0.4 IW/CPE and application of nitrogen at 150 kg ha-1 in Bt cotton in alfisols.