Abstract

Field experiments were conducted during 2012-2013 and 2013-14 at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore to study the physiological characters of Bt cotton as influenced by crop geometry and drip fertigation. The experiment was laid out in a strip plot design with replicated thrice. The treatments in main plot consisted of four crop geometry levels (120 x 60 cm, 120 x 90 cm, 150 x 60 cm and 150 x 90 cm) and sub plots consisted of four nutrient levels viz., 75, 100 and 125 % of recommended dose as water soluble fertilizer (WSF) through drip system and conventional practice of irrigation and fertilizer application. Here, 75 % of the P as basal (single super phosphate) and remaining 25 % P as water soluble fertilizer and the entire quantity of N and K as water soluble fertilizer was applied based on recommended fertigation schedule. The experimental results revealed that crop growth rate was significantly higher under 120 x 60 cm and was comparable with crop geometry of 120 x 90 cm with application of 125 % of recommended dose as water soluble fertilizer over wider crop geometry level of 150 x 90 cm compared to conventional method of irrigation and fertilizer application. Higher seed cotton yield was recorded with crop geometry of 120 x 90 cm with 125 % as water soluble fertilizer over conventional method of cultivation.

Keywords: Crop geometry, Fertigation, Physiological characters, Seed cotton yield.