Economics and Quality of HDPS Cotton with different Plant Growth Regulators in Coastal Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

Plant growth regulators are used in cotton production to balance vegetative and reproductive growth, as well as to increase seed cotton yield and lint quality. Field experiment was conducted during kharif, 2020 to determine the effect of plant growth regulators on quality and economics of HDPS cotton in coastal Andhra Pradesh. It was conducted at Agricultural College Farm, Bapatla in Randomised Block Design (RBD) and replicated thrice. The experiment consisted of ten treatments. T : control, T : Mepiquat chloride 50 ppm at 45 DAS; T : Mepiquat 1 2 3 chloride 50 ppm at 75 DAS; T : Maleic hydrazide 30 ppm at 45 DAS; T : Maleic hydrazide 30 4 5 ppm at 75 DAS; T : Cycocel 60 ppm at 45 DAS; T : Cycocel 60 ppm at 75 DAS; T : Mepiquat 6 7 8 chloride 50 ppm at 45 DAS and 75DAS; T : Maleic hydrazide 30 ppm at 45 DAS and 75 DAS; T : 9 10 Cycocel 60 ppm at 45 DAS and 75 DAS. The results indicated that application of Mepiquat chloride 50 ppm at 45 DAS and 75 DAS recorded the maximum number of picked bolls plant-1, boll weight, boll opening percentage and seed cotton yield. The quality parameters viz., seed index, harvest index, lint index, ginning percentage did not show any significant response with plant growth regulators application. Application of Mepiquat chloride 50 ppm at 45 DAS and 75 DAS recorded the higher gross returns, net returns and returns per rupee investment.