Evaluation of Agrometeorological Indices in Relation to Crop Phenology of Cotton (Gossipium spp.) and Chickpea (Cicer aritinum L.) at Rahuri Region of Maharashtra

Field experiment was conducted during kharif and rabi season of 2006–07 and 2007–08 at MPKV, Rahuri, Maharashtra to study phenology and GDD, HTU, PTU, HYTU and PTI for cotton and chickpea crops. Cotton crop was sown on 19 April, 2006 and 15 April 2007 during kharif while chickpea crop was sown on 15 November, 2006 and 03 November, 2007, during rabi season. Results revealted that mean GDD, HTU, PTU, HYTU and PTI for cotton and chickpea crops were 2478.8, 21171.5, 20209.6, 155392.9, 15.0 and 1855.4, 1232.7, 20687.0, 95667.1, 15.9, respectively. Physiological maturity can be predicted for cotton and chickpea by using GDD, HTU, PTU with R² 0.99. During 2006–07 the HUE, HTUE, PTUE and HYUE were 0.79 kg seed cotton yield/ha degree days⁻¹, 0.18 kg seed cotton yield/ha degree days⁻¹, 0.06 kg seed cotton yield/ha degree days⁻¹, 0.01 kg seed cotton yield/ha degree days⁻¹, with seed cotton yield 2012 kg/ha and during 2007–08 HUE, HTUE, PTUE and HYUE were 0.94 kg seed cotton yield/ha degree days⁻¹, 0.29 kg seed cotton yield/ha degree days⁻¹, 0.07 kg seed cotton yield/ha degree days⁻¹, 0.01 kg seed cotton yield/ha degree days⁻¹ with seed cotton yield 2267 kg/ha. During 2006 the HUE, HTUE, PTUE and HYUE were 1.20 kg grain/ha degree days⁻¹, 1.63 kg grain/ha degree days⁻¹, 0.11 kg grain/ha degree days⁻¹ and 0.02 kg grain/ha degree days⁻¹ respectively with grain yield 2264 kg/ha and during 2007 HUE, HTUE, PTUE and HYUE thermal use efficiency were 1.43 kg grain/ha degree days⁻¹, 2.43 kg grain/ha degree days⁻¹, 0.13 kg grain/ha degree days⁻¹ and 0.03 kg grain/ha degree days^–1 respectively with grain yield 2617 kg/ha.