Growth Behaviour of Transgenic Cotton with Peanut Intercropping System Using Modified Fertilization Technique

Abstract

Global cotton cultivation, particularly in India, was transformed after the introduction of transgenic cotton hybrids. Realizing the increasing acreage under transgenic cotton in future, the aim of this study was to evaluate growth behaviour of transgenic cotton with peanut intercropping system and sole cotton crop by using 25–50 % substitution of recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) of cotton through farm yard manure (FYM) along with 100 % RDN through urea and control (0N). Plant growth parameters like plant height, leaf area index, leaf chlorophyll, and N contents were measured at various growth stages of cotton for correlating them with seed cotton yield. Peanut intercropping in cotton did not significantly affect cotton growth parameters and indices except leaf area duration (P = 0.04) as compared with sole crop of cotton. On the other hand, cotton growth parameters with substitution of 25 % RDN of cotton through FYM were higher than or similar to its corresponding 100 % RDN of cotton through urea only. The results showed that there were highly significant (P < 0.01) linear relationships between leaf N and chlorophyll contents at each growth stage, and with plant height and leaf area index during cotton growth. Seed cotton yield was also highly (P < 0.01) correlated with plant growth parameters like plant height, leaf area index, chlorophyll content and leaf N content at various growth stages of cotton. The present study explains plant growth behaviour of transgenic cotton with peanut intercropping system and integrated use of manure and fertilizer for simultaneously enhancing lint and oilseed production.