Effect of Drip Irrigation in Bt-Cotton Yield
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Author:K. Rajendran, M. Mohamed Amanullah and K. Vaiyapuri
p-ISSN:0024-9602, e-ISSN:2582-5321, Vol:99, Issue:jan-mar
DOI: https://doi.org/10.29321/MAJ.10.100018
Abstract
Field experiments were conducted during winter 2006-07 and 2007-08 at Tamil Nadu Agricultural
University, Coimbatore to find out the effect of drip irrigation on the productivity and water
use efficiency in Bt-cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). The experiments were laid out in a
randomized block design replicated four times. The treatments consisted of drip irrigation
at 0.40, 0.60, 0.80 and 1.0 ET C (Crop evapotranspiration) compared with farmers’ method (flood
irrigation method). The results revealed that application of water to Bt-cotton through drip
resulted in better growth, higher seed cotton yield and better quality of lint than the surface
method. The yield advantage due to different irrigation schedules through drip based on ETc
was 26.2 and 12.8% over surface method during 2006-07 and 2007-08, respectively. Among the
irrigation through drip, irrigation at 0.80 ET C recorded better growth and gave higher seed
cotton yield than irrigation at 0.60 ET C . The water use efficiency with drip irrigated Bt-cotton
was 44.4% higher than the flood method of irrigation.
Key words : Bt-cotton, drip irrigation, irrigation scheduling, ET C
, yield