Effect of spacing and nutrients management on growth, yield, yield attributes, quality characters and economics in Hirsutum cotton in central plain zone of U.P.

Abstract

Cotton is one of the most commercial crops of the world and in the maintaining of many economics. Cotton is cultivated in nearly 100 countries with China, India, united States, Pakistan and Brazil being the five largest producers of cotton. Cotton is the back born of textile industry and provides raw material in the form of lint to the textile industry. A field experiment was conducted, with Hirsutum cotton genotype H-1300 during kharif season 2015 at the Oil Seed Farm of C.S. Azad university of Agriculture and technology, Kanpur. It geographically falls in the zone of sub-tropical climate. It is roughly situated between the latitudes 26.200 to 28.360north and longitude 800 to 900 East to study the effect of spacing and nutrient management system on growth, yield attributes, yield, quality and economics of Hirsutum cotton. The treatment combinations comprising with T1 - Control without fertilizer + normal spacing (67.5*30 cm), T2 – 100% RDF + normal Spacing, T3 – 100% RDF + 25% less than normal spacing, T4 – 125% RDF + 25% less than normal spacing, T5 – 125% RDF + 25% less than normal spacing + soil application of ZnSO4, T6 – 125% RDF + 25% less than normal spacing + foliar spray of 2% urea and 2% DAP, T7 – 125% RDF + 25% less than normal spacing + foliar spray of MgSO4 and ZnSO4. The treatments were evaluated in Randomized Block Design with three replications. The normal spacing was kept row to row distance of 67.5 cm and plant to plant distance of 30 cm. crop was fertilized as per respective treatments where half of nitrogen and full dose of phosphorus and potassium was applied at the time of sowing and remaining half of nitrogen was applied in two equal installment one at 30 days after sowing and second at 60 days after sowing. Harvesting was done on the basis of picking when boll was fully open. Application of 125% RDF + 25% less than normal spacing + foliar spray of 2% urea and 2% DAP produced significantly highest growth characters viz., plant height at 30, 60, 90 and 150 days after sowing, number of monopopdia and sympodia, fresh and dry weight/plant, yield attributes viz., number of bolls/m2, number of bolls/plant and boll weight, yield viz.,seed cotton, lint, seed and stick, quality characters viz., ginning out tern, span length, micronaire value, uniformity ratio andfibre strength and economics, it was closely followed by 125% RDF + 25% less than normal spacing + foliar spray of MgSO4and ZnSO4. On the basis of above results, it may be concluded that Hirsutum cotton genotype H-1300 along with application of 125% recommended dose of fertilizers (60:30:20 kg NPK/ha) + 25% less than normal spacing + foliar spray of 2% urea and 2% DAP was most productive and remunerative for cotton under Central Plain Zone of U.P.