Abstract:
Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is well-known to be a white gold and cash crop of Pakistan. Recently, improper plant populations and miss-use of nitrogenous fertilizers diminished the growth and yield of the cotton crop. In this scenario, a study was carried out to determine the optimum dose of nitrogen and the best sowing method, using various row spacing, to achieve the maximum cotton yield potential. The experiment was laid out in RCBD (Randomized Complete Block Design) with a factorial arrangement having three replications. Experiment was comprised of two factors i.e. nitrogen (120 and 150 kg ha-1) and row spacing {ultra-narrow (15cm), narrow (30cm) and conventional (75cm)}. Increasing trend of data regarding growth and development (plant population ha-1, plant height, number of nodes plant-1, number of squares plant-1, number of monopodial and sympodial branches plant-1, and number of flowers plant-1), yield components (number of open and un-open bolls plants1, average boll weight (g), seed cotton yield (kg ha-1), ginning out-turn (GOT%), quality parameter (staple length, micronaire, fiber strength, fiber fineness, fiber uniformity) and benefit-cost ratio (BCR) of cotton were observed under applied UNR treatment from the crop using standard procedures. Maximum seed cotton yield was obtained by adopting the planting method with 15 cm ultra-narrow-row (UNR) along-with 150 kg ha-1 nitrogen application during both the years (2015 and 2016) of the field experiment. The finding of the research is recommended for the farming community to adopt the newly emerged ultranarrow row's technique at 15 cm row spacing to get the economically profitable seed cotton yield under the recent agroclimatic fluctuation of Southern Punjab, Pakistan.
Keywords:
nitrogen
,
seed cotton yield
,
plant density
,
BCR
,
UNR