Performance of Cotton (Gossipium hirsutum L.) Varieties under High Density Planting System in Alfisols of Telangana, India

Aims: Cotton productivity is lower in India than the global average due to inadequate soil moisture during boll formation stage due to cessation of south west monsoon. Cotton is mainly grown under rainfed conditions in marginal and shallow soils, cultivating short duration cotton varieties with high density could improve productivity in the rainfed regions. So, this experiment was conducted to evaluate the three cotton varieties and a hybrid under four high density spacings. Study Design:  The experiment was laid out in split plot design and replicated thrice. Place and Duration of Study: The field experiment was conducted for three years during Kharif 2014, 2015 and 2016 at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Palem, Nagarkurnool District of Telangana state, India. The experimental site was located at 16.51703° North latitude and 78.2469° East longitude and an altitude of 478 m above mean sea level. Methodology: Treatments consisted of 4 spacings (45×10 cm, 60×10 cm, 75×10 cm and 90×10 cm) under main plots and 3 non bt cotton varieties (Suraj, WGCV-48 and ADB-39) and 1 Bt Cotton hybrid Jadoo was included as 4th treatment under subplots during 2015 and 2016. The soil at the site was Alfisol with low organic carbon (0.24%) and N (210 kg ha-1), high in available P (75 kg P2O5 ha-1) and available K (455 kg K2O ha-1). The crop was cultivated under rainfed conditions. Intercultivation and hand weeding was done and kept weed free. Gross plot size of 9 m × 3 m was maintained for each treatment. Nitrogen dose of 40 kg N ha-1, 20 kg P2O5 ha-1 and 20 kg K2O ha-1 was applied. The single plant data was collected on five tagged plants in each plot of each treatment and yield data was collected from the net plot area. Results: Seed cotton yield was significantly influenced by the spacing and the varieties. The pooled data of 3 years revealed that cotton crop under 90×10 cm spacing (2054 kg ha-1) recorded significantly higher seed cotton yield than the crop under 75×10 cm (1854 kg ha-1), 60×10 cm (1723 kg ha-1) and 45×10 cm (1603 kg ha-1). The pooled data of 3 years revealed that the seed cotton yield in hybrid Jadoo (2189 kg ha-1) was significantly higher than the three varieties. The seed cotton yield in all the three varieties (Suraj, WGCV-48 and ADB-39) was on par with each other during all the years under study. Conclusion: High density spacing of 90×10 cm, recorded significantly higher seed cotton yield than the other tested spacing. Among the varieties and the hybrid, cotton Jadoo outperformed all the cotton varieties and seed cotton yield of cotton varieties (Suraj, WGCV-48 and ADB-39) was on par with each other.