YIELD, QUALITY AND ECONOMICS OF SUMMER COTTON (GOSSYPIUM SPECIES) AS INFLUENCED BY FREQUENCY OF IRRIGATION AND MOISTURE-CONSERVATION PRACTICES

A field experiment was conducted during summer seasons of 1987 and 198 8 at Kanpur with 'Vikas' cotton (Gossypium sp.) to study the effect of irrigation schedule in relation to moisture-conservation practices on light-textured alluvial soil. Irrigating the crop at 120 mm pan evapo ration (requiring 6 irrigations) and covering the inter-row vacant spa ces with polyethylene or organic residue mulch like maize stover gave the highest yield and showed better quality as measured by halo length , fibre fineness, ginning outturn and economics. Application of jalsha kti @ 5 kg/ha also improved the yield as well as quality.