Abstract

"The proper amount of soil moisture during the different stages of plant development is the most potent single factor making for a high crop yield" is the general conclusion drawn by Sawhney and Sikka (1960) in their monograph on "Physiology Cotton in India". The importance of the role played by soil moisture should really be highly significant in the case of K.2 and K.5 strains of Karunganni, which have been evolved specially for the dryland areas of the Southern and Central districts of the Madras State. Under the All India Co-ordinated Crop Weather Scheme, these two strains of cotton are cultivated at the Central Farm; Coimbatore from 1948-49 onwards. The data collected for thirteen years from 1951-52 to 1963-64 have been critically examined in this paper to assess the influence of soil moisture at different depths of 3", 6" and 12" on the growth and yield of K.2 and K.5 strains of cotton.

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