A field experiment was conducted at Cotton Research Station in Nanded (Maharashtra, India) during the
Kharif season of 2023 to evaluate the impacts of various canopy management treatments on yield of
Bt cotton under HDPS.
The study was carried out on medium black cotton soil in randomized block design with three replications and seven treatments. The treatments were
, T
1 - Cotton in HDPS - 90 x 30 cm (37037 plants ha
-1); T
2 - HDPS + de-topping at 90 DAS; T
3 - HDPS + de-topping at 75 DAS; T
4 - HDPS + pruning of monopodia at square formation stage; T
5 - HDPS + pruning of monopodia at square formation stage and de-topping at 75 DAS; T
6 - HDPS + two sprays of Mepiquat chloride @ 25 g
a.i. at square formation followed by 15 days and T
7 - HDPS + poly mulch + pruning of monopodia at square formation stage and de-topping at 75 DAS.
Highest number of picked bolls plant-1, boll weight (g), yield plant-1 (g), Seed cotton yield (kg ha-1), lint yield (kg ha-1), stalk weight (kg ha-1) were found to be increased with T7 treatment (HDPS + poly mulch + Pruning of monopodia at square formation stage and de-topping at 75 DAS. Crop earliness, harvest index (%), rain water use efficiency and soil moisture were also improved with same treatment (T7). The seed and lint parameters viz., Seed index (g), Lint index, ginning out turn were not affected due canopy management. Lower weed density and weed dry weight were recorded in treatment with poly mulch (T7).
