EFFECT OF SUBSURFACE DRAIN SPACING AND NITROGEN LEVEL ON YIELD AND GROWTH OF UPLAND COTTON (GOSSYPIUM-HIRSUTUM) AND PEARL-MILLET (PENNISETUM-GLAUCUM) IN SALINE SOIL

A field study was conducted during 1985-87 to study the effect of 3 dr ain spacings (25, 50 and 75 m) and 3 levels of nitrogen (60, 80 and 10 0 kg N/ha) for upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and 3 levels of N (80, 100 and 120 kg N/ha) for pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R Br. emend. Stuntz] on soil salinity, growth and crop yield on a sandy -barn saline soil (Calciorthid). Monsoon rain and continuous cropping decreased the soil salinity considerably, but the decrease was more in drain spacing of 25 m than of 50 and 75 m. The increase in drain spac ing significantly decreased the plant weight, dry weight, number of be lls and seed-cotton yield/plant as well as seed-cotton yield during 19 85. During 1986 and 1987 the drain spacing did not significantly affec t plant characters and yields of both the crops, because the soil sali nity decreased considerably in all the drain spacings during these yea rs. The growth, yield attributes and yield of cotton increased signifi cantly with the application of 100 and 80 ks N/ha compared with 60 kg N/ha in all the years. In pearl millet the yield attributes and yields of grain and stover increased significantly with the application of 1 20 kg N/ha compared with that of 100 and 80 kg N/ha. Thus cotton and p earl miller could be grown in saline soil under field conditions up to ECe 7.5 and 6.5 dS/m (0-40 cm depth at sowing) respectively, without affecting yield significantly.