Crop Production :: Fibre Crops :: Cotton :: Irrigated Cotton

RAINFED COTTON

Follow water harvesting techniques and raise a successful crop of cotton.

SEASON AND VARIETIES
For Thirumangalam in Madurai district, Sattur in Virudhunagar district and parts of Kovilpatti in Thoothukudi district, where the seasonal rainfall is 375 mm and most of it is received during September or first week of October, select LRA 5166 (or) SVPR 2 (or) KC 2, KC3.
In places where rains are received during October or November, Select K 11 for Ramanathapuram, Virudhunagar, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts.

PREPARATION OF LAND FOR RAINFED COTTON

1. PREPARATION OF THE FIELD

1. Start preparation of the land immediately after harvest of the previous crop.
2. Adopt permanent broad ridges system.

2. APPLICATION OF FYM OR COMPOST

• Spread 12.5 t of FYM or compost or composted coir pith or 2.5t of vermicompost per ha uniformly on the unploughed soil.
• Incorporate the manure in the soil by working the multipurpose implement or country plough.
• Apply TNAU MN mixture @ 7.5 by as enriched Fym.

3. APPLICATION OF INORGANIC FERTILIZERS

• Apply NPK fertilizers as per soil test recommendation as far as possible.
• If soil tests are not done, follow the blanket recommendations for the different varieties.

Varieties	Quantity of fertilizers (Kg/ha)
	N	P2O5	K20
K 11	20	0	0
SVPR 2	40	20	40
KC 2	40	20	40

4. APPLICATION OF MICRONUTRIENT MIXTURE

• Mix 12.5 kg of micronutrient mixture formulated by the Department of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu with enough sand to make a total quantity of 50 kg. (or) Apply TNAU MN mixture @ 7.5 kg /ha as Enriched FYM (Prepare enriched FYM at 1:10 ratio of MN mixture & FYM ; mix at friable moisture &incubate for one month in shade).
• Apply uniformly over the furrows after sowing and cover the seeds.
• Do not incorporate in the soil.

Yield Maximization and reducing reddening in Bt cotton Rainfed

Application of TNAU MN mixture (7.5 kg ha-1 as EFYM for variety and 10 kg ha-1 as EFYM for Bt cotton) and TNAU PGR foliar formulation @ 1.5% concentration at square and boll formation stages along with the recommended NPK to obtain the maximum seed cotton yield with reduced extent of leaf reddening..

5. SEEDS AND SOWING
i) Adopt the following seed rates for different varieties/hybrids.

Varieties	Quantity of seeds (kg/ha)
	Fuzzy seeds	Delinted seeds
K11	20	..
LRA 5166, SVPR 2	20	15

Note: Delint only LRA 5166 and SVPR2 seeds. Do not delint seeds of K 9, K10 & K 11 
ii)   In the case of mixed crop of cotton, maintaining the same seed rates as for a pure crop and adopt the following seed rate for the pulses crop.
Blackgram/greengram : 10 kg/ha
Cowpea : 7.5 kg/ha

6. SPACING

• In the case of pure crop of varieties/hybrids, a spacing of 45 cm between rows and 15 cm between plants may be adopted. 
• In the case of cotton, intercropped with pulses, one paired row of cotton is alternated with two rows of pulses and the total population of cotton crop is maintained at the same line as that for a pure crop of cotton.

Varieties	Spacing for cotton crop (cm)
	Within Paired row	Between Paired rows	Between plants
K 11, LRA 5166, SVPR 2	30	60	15

iii)  Adopt a spacing of 30 x 10 cm for the pulse crop in between each paired row of cotton. APK 1 Blackgram is best suited for this situation.

7. ACID DELINTING
Adopt procedure for acid delinting as for an irrigated crop.

8. PRETREATMENT OF ACID DELINTED SEEDS WITH FUNGICIDES
Same as for the irrigated crop.

9. SOWING

• Use the multipurpose farming implement to sow the seeds and to apply basal fertilizers simultaneously.
• Fill the hopper in the implement with the fertilizer mixtures and work the implement.
• Engage 3 persons for dropping the seeds, 2 for cotton and one for pulses. In one operation, placement of fertilizer, sowing of seeds and covering will be completed.
  NOTE: Cotton and pulses can be sown at a depth of 5 cm in black cotton soil even before the onset of monsoon rains in dry bed sowing. When light rains are received, the moisture will not penetrate deeper and the seeds will not germinate and die away. Only when good rains are received, the moisture level will be sufficient to penetrate to the level of the seed and facilitate germination and proper establishment.

10. WEED MANAGEMENT

• Pre-emergence application of Pendimethalin 3.3 l/ha followed by one hand weeding on 40 days after crop emergence. At the time of herbicide application sufficient soil moisture must be there.
• If sufficient soil moisture is not available for applying herbicides hand weeding may be given at 10 - 20 days after crop emergence.

11. GAP FILLING
     Dibble 3 to 4 seeds in each gap if sufficient moisture is available.

12. THINNING SEEDLINGS

1. Allow two seedlings per hole and thin out on 15th day of sowing, adopting proper spacing between plants.
2. Thin the pulse crop on the 20th day of sowing, adopting a spacing of 15 cm between plants for cowpea and 10 cm for other pulse crop.

13. FOLIAR FERTILIZATION
     Spray 0.5% urea and 1% KCl on the 45th and 65th day of sowing if sufficient moisture is available.

14. INTERCULTIVATION WITH DHANTHULU/BLADE HARROW
     Work dhanthulu or blade harrow on the 30th and 45th day of sowing.

NOTE: Other cultivation practices, plant protection measures, harvest etc., are the same as for the irrigated crop.

CROP PHYSIOLOGY

Foliar spray of TNAU Cotton Plus @ 2.5 kg/acre in 200 litres of water at flowering and at boll formation stages reduces flower and square shedding, improves boll bursting, increases seed cotton yield and imparts drought tolerance

Updated on : 19.06.2013