Abstract
The present study aimed to assess the effect of macronutrient mixtureson growth and yield of cotton, in farmer’s field, Deenampalayam taluk ofCoimbatore district, Tamil Nadu. The treatments comprised of NPK fertilizermixtures having different nitrogenous fertilizers (urea, Calcium Nitrate (CN)),phosphatic fertilizers (Single Superphosphate (SSP)), potassic fertilizers(Muriate of Potash (MOP), Sulfate of Potash (SOP)), NP (Di-ammoniumPhosphate (DAP), Mono Ammonium Phosphate (MAP), Ammonium SulfatePhosphate (ASP)) with control. Application of CN + DAP + MOP (T5) as NPKsources to meet out the recommended dose of fertilizers for cotton registeredmaximum plant height (124.9 cm), number of sympodial branches (12.9),leaf area index (2.84), and dry matter production (8888 kg ha-1) at bollbursting stage of the crop. Highest kapas yield of 2118 kg ha-1 was recordedby the treatment T5, followed by T7 (Urea + DAP + CN + SSP + MOP) (1957kg ha-1). Plants supplied with treatment T5 registered highest number ofbolls (39.5) and boll weight (7 g). With regard to B:C ratio, highest B:C ratioof 1.70 was obtained with multiple sources of nitrogenous, phosphaticfertilizers and MOP (T7).
Highlights
Cotton, being a major cash and fibre crop has a great impact on the economy of a country
The present study showed that the application of macronutrient mixtures containing calcium nitrate significantly improved the growth attributes and increased the kapas yield of cotton
Calcium nitrate present in the fertilizer mixture helped in increasing the nutrient uptake by creating a better physical condition of the soil, soil structure
Summary
Cotton, being a major cash and fibre crop has a great impact on the economy of a country. Cotton cultivation in India can be traced back to 5000 BC (Meena and Uzramma, 2017). British colonization has resulted in the growth and fall of the cotton industry in India. Mahatma Gandhi believed that cotton was a part of Indian self-determination, which resulted in the Khadi movement, a massive boycott of British cotton goods. In India, the area under cotton cultivation is 122.38 lakh ha (CAB press release, 2018). The cotton crop needs more fertilizers, plant protection chemicals, water etc. Farmers usually go for straight fertilizers and mostly depend on subsidized fertilizers for supplying plant nutrients resulting in dumping of excessive fertilizers in the field. Macronutrient mixtures will help to supply the required nutrients in proper proportion, which improves the growth and yield of
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