Physiological growth parameters of cotton under mulching with varying fertigation schedules

Abstract

A field trial was conducted during the kharif season of 2021-2022 at the Agronomy Research Farm, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani (M.S.), to evaluate the impact of different fertigation schedules and mulching practices on the growth indices of Bt. cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). The site, situated in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra at 19°16' N latitude and 76°46' E longitude with an elevation of 408.46 m above mean sea level, had a fairly uniform and level topography. The soil type was medium black, classified as vertisol. The experiment followed a split plot design with three replications. Treatments included four fertigation levels: 80:40:40 NPK kg ha⁻¹ (S1), 100:50:50 NPK kg ha⁻¹ (S2), 120:60:60 NPK kg ha⁻¹ (S3), and 140:70:70 NPK kg ha⁻¹ (S4), assigned to main plots, and four mulching options: no mulch (M1), organic mulch (M2), black polyethylene mulch (M3), and silver polyethylene mulch (M4), allocated to subplots. Findings indicated that the combination of fertigation at 140:70:70 NPK kg ha⁻¹ with silver polyethylene mulch (S4M4) achieved the highest values for physiological growth parameters such as leaf area index, leaf area duration, and crop growth rate.