EFFECT OF COMPARATIVE EFFICIENCY OF PLANTING METHODS AND SOIL DEPTH ON RAIN-FED COTTON (GOSSYPIUM-HIRSUTUM) IN VERTISOLS

An experiment was conducted during 1985-87 to study relative efficiency of different planting methods and soil depth on yield of rainfed cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Cotton crop suffers from moisture stress in Vertisols during boll-development stage due to high evapo-transpiration with the receding monsoon rains and increase in day temperature from October in central India. Soil depths significantly influenced the growth and development through variation in soil-moisture content. Deep soil retained more soil moisture throughout the growth period and resulted in higher dry matter(2485.0 kg/ha)and seed-cotton yield (1673.3 kg/ha) compared with medium deep (dry matter 2005.8 kg/ha seed-cotton yield 1040 kg/ha) and shallow (dry matter 1705 kg/ha, seed-cotton yield 996.7 kg/ha) soils. With rapid depletion of soil moisture coupled with low soil-profile water, the crop growth and development suffered in shallow soil, resulting in low yield - particularly in years of low and uneven distribution of rainfall. Among different planting methods, crowbar method (1514.4 kg/ha), followed by transplanting through plastic tubes (1213.3 kg/ha), gave higher seed-cotton yield than normal sowing with the onset of monsoon (1065.6 kg/ha). Similar trend was observed for N, P and K uptake in rainfed cotton.