Effect of Methods and Scheduling of Irrigation and Mulching on Yield of Cotton

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted on deep black soil of Main Cotton Research Station, Gujarat Agricultural University, Surat (Gujarat) during Kharif season of 1992-93 and 1993-94 to study the effect of methods and scheduling of irrigation and mulching on growth, yield and quality of G. Cot. Hy-6 under South Gujarat condition. Eighteen treatment combinations of two irrigation methods (I₁: All furrow irrigation and I₂: alternate furrow irrigation); three irrigation scheduling (I₁: 0.3 IW/CPE ratio, I₂: 0.5 IW/CPE ratio and I₃: 0.7 IW/CPE ratio) at the depth of 70 mm and three mulching (M₁: No mulch, M₂: Soil mulch and M₃: Paddy straw mulch @ 5 t/ha) were tested in split plot design with three replications. Irrigation methods did not show significant effect on yield of cotton. However, 50 per cent saving in irrigation water was obtained with alternate furrow irrigation. Irrigating cotton at 0.7 IW/CPE ratio resulted in significantly higher yield and net returns. This crop required 5 or 6 irrigations, each of 70 mm depth. The first irrigation should be one month after the cessation of monsoon. Soil mulch resulted in higher incremental cost benefit over no mulch. Consumptive use of water was higher with more frequent irrigations and no mulch treatments. However, WUE had reverse trend for this treatment.