Effect of In-situ Soil Moisture Conservation Techniques, Soil Conditioner (Pusa Hydrogel) with Stress Management Practices on Growth and Yield of Rainfed Cotton

Field experiments were conducted at Regional Research Station, Aruppukottai, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu during rabi season of 2016 and 2017 to study the impact of in-situ moisture conservation and stress management practices on soil moisture retention and productivity of cotton under rainfed Vertisol soil with the test variety SVPR-2. The experiments were laid out in split plot design replicated thrice. The main plot treatments consisted of different in-situ moisture conservation measures viz., Broad Bed and Furrows (I₁), Ridges and Furrows (I₂) and Compartmental Bunding (I₃). The subplot comprises the stress management practices viz., soil application of pusa hydrogel @ 5 kg ha⁻¹ (S₁), soil application of pusa hydrogel @ 5 kg ha⁻¹ + foliar spray of 1% KCl (S₂), soil application of pusa hydrogel @ 5 kg ha⁻¹ + foliar spray of 5% kaolin (S₃), soil application of pusa hydrogel @ 5 kg ha⁻¹ + foliar spray of PPFM @ 500 ml ha⁻¹ (S₄), soil application of pusa hydrogel @ 5 kg ha⁻¹ + foliar spray of salicylic acid 100 ppm (S₅) and control (S₆). The results of this study showed that treatment combination of broad bed and furrow and soil application of pusa hydrogel @ 5 kg ha⁻¹ + foliar spray of PPFM @ 500 ml ha⁻¹ recorded significantly higher values of growth characters such as plant height, dry matter production, LAI and yield attributes viz., sympodial branches per plant, number of bolls plant⁻¹, boll weight and seed cotton yield 1, 580 kg ha⁻¹ (2016) and 1, 943 kg ha⁻¹ (2017).