Trends in Biosciences

A field experiment was carried out at MARS, Dharwad during Kharif, 2010 and 2011 to study the "Organic farming practices on yield and yield parameters of cotton" The results of the two years pooled data revealed that, among the treatment combinations, integrated application of RDF + FYM and green leaf manure as mulch with application of jeevamrutha @ 500 l/ha recorded significantly higher number of bolls per plant (41.37), mean boll weight (5.05 g), kapas weight per plant (116.88 g), kapas yield (1858 kg/ha) over other treatments. Among the organic combinations application of compost (50%) + vermicompost (50%) equivalent to RDF + green leaf manure as mulch with application of jeevamrutha @ 500 l/ha recorded higher number of bolls per plant at 150 DAS, mean boll weight, kapas weight per plant, kapas yield and was on par with RDF+FYM and which was superior over RDF only. Among the nutrient management practices, application of FYM @ 5t per ha + RDF recorded significantly higher number of bolls per plant (40.13) at 150 DAS, mean boll weight (4.87 g), kapas weight per plant (114.69), kapas yield (1777 kg/ha) over rest of the treatments. Among the organic manurial treatments, combined application of compost (50%) + vermicompost (50%) equivalent to RDF recorded significantly higher number of bolls per plant (36.53), mean boll weight (4.42 g), kapas weight per plant (107.96) and kapas yield (1579 kg/ha) over other organic manurial treatments but was on par with crop residue (50%) + vermicompost (50%) equivalent to RDF. Among the green manuring treatments, application of green leaf manure (GLM) @ 7.5t per ha with jeevamrutha @ 500l/ha surface applied recorded significantly higher number of bolls per plant (36.51), mean boll weight (4.46 g), kapas weight (109.08 g) and kapas yield (1621 kg/ha) over other green manuring treatments and was on par with lucerene + jeevamrutha.