RESPONSE OF RAIN-FED UPLAND COTTON (GOSSYPIUM-HIRSUTUM) TO TRIACONTANOL AND NAPHTHALENE ACETIC-ACID SPRAYS

A field experiment was conducted during the rainy (kharif) seasons of 1986 and 1987 to study the effect of triacontanol and naphthalene acet ic acid (NAA) on 2 varieties of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) under rainfed condition. Yield and yield-attributing characters of 'AH H 468' upland cotton were significantly higher than of 'AKH 0442' duri ng both the seasons. Shedding of fruit froms in 'AKH 0442' was higher by 9.8% than that of 'AHH 468'. Spraying of triacontanol @ 2.5 ppm a.i . significantly increased the number of green bolls, total dry matter, seed-cotton weight/plant and test weight. Shedding of fruit forms wer e reduced by 22.7% and seed-cotton yield/ha increased by 16% with tria contanol @ 2.5 ppm compared with 1.25 ppm. Spraying NAA @ 10 ppm incre ased the green bolls, total dry matter/plant and test weight. This tre atment reduced the shedding by 18% compared with NAA @ 20 ppm. NAA @ 1 0 ppm increased the seed-cotton yield by 10.3% during 1986 which was a t par during 1987. Three or four sprays did not make any significant d ifference in the cotton yield, however additional fourth spray helped in increasing total dry matter during stress condition.