Available soil moisture and yield of rainfed hybrid cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) as influenced by rainwater conservation practices

JAGVIR SINGH; K.S. BHASKAR; P.R. BHARAMBE

doi:10.59797/ija.v56i2.4674

Authors

JAGVIR SINGH
K.S. BHASKAR
P.R. BHARAMBE

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59797/ija.v56i2.4674

Keywords:

Cotton, Intercrops, Moisture conservation, Rainfed

Abstract

To assess the effect of moisture conservation techniques for enhancement of soil moisture and yield of hybrid cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) under rainfed conditions, a field experiment was conducted during the rainy ( kharif ) seasons of three consecutive years 2004, 2005 and 2006 on vertisols, at Nagpur. The treatments com- prised of six soil moisture conservation practices viz., opening of furrows in each row, in alternate row, tied hoe- ing, three intercrops with cotton viz. soybean ( Glycine max L.), blackgram ( Phaseolus mungo L.) and greengram ( Phaseolus radiatus L.) with one flat bed system (no moisture conservation). Three years study revealed that highest seed cotton yield (1.43 tonne/ha) and cotton equivalent yield (1.95 tonne/ha) with higher net returns of `26,491/ha and B:C ratio value of 2.92 was obtained with intercropping system of cotton + green gram compared to sole cotton on flat bed system with 1.20 tonne/ha seed cotton yield and net returns of ` 11550/ha). During the period of sowing to flowering stage of cotton, the available soil moisture were found higher at surface soil by 9% due to intercropping system as compared to flat bed system and declined to the increasing depth of soil.

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