Exploring the impact of High-density planting system (HDPS) technology in cotton under light soils

A field experiment was carried out to assess the influence of spacing on growth and yield parameters of cotton at farmers field under KVK, Bellampalli of Mancherial district, Telangana during Kharif 2023-24. The treatments included High Density Planting System (HDPS) @90X15cm, Closer Spacing @90x30cm and the Conventional method@90x60 cm. Plant height was recorded at 30, 60, 90 and 120 days after sowing (DAS) while yield attributing traits such as number of sympodial branches per plant, dry matter accumulation, number of bolls per plant and seed cotton yield (q/acre) were evaluated at harvest. Results revealed that the conventional method led to significantly highest plant height throughout all growth stages, attaining a maximum of 118.67 cm at 120 DAS. In contrast, HDPS recorded the lowest plant height (96.33 cm at 120 DAS) indicating that denser planting reduced plant height due to interplant competition. Regarding yield attributes, the conventional method produced the highest number of sympodial branches (18.33) and dry matter accumulation (161.00 g/plant) but it resulted in a lower boll count per acre and ultimately the lowest yield (9.90 q/acre). HDPS despite having fewer bolls per plant achieved the highest seed cotton yield (13.07 q/acre) suggesting superior yield efficiency per unit area in high-density planting. The findings highlight the individual plant performance and overall yield per unit area suggesting that HDPS is a promising strategy for maximizing yield in cotton cultivation under light to medium soils.