Effect of intercropping and fertilizer management on cotton under saline black soils of Gujarat-A Study

Abstract

Results ofthe experiment carried out for three consecutive years during 2001–02 to 2003–04, on the "effect of pulse intercrops and fertilizers on cotton" showed that seed cotton yield decreased significantly over a averaged cotton production of three years with the inclusion of pulses as an intercrop as compared to seed cotton yield obtained under sole cotton crop. The reduction in averaged over three years seed cotton yield was less with cluster bean as compared to other pulses, showed that cluster bean can be grown as intercrop in cotton without much adverse effect on the seed cotton yield.

Each successive increase in the nitrogen levels along with basal application of 40 kg/ha phosphorus significantly increased the seed cotton yield up to 80 kg N/ha. Though the highest seed cotton yield was obtained with the application of 100kg/ha nitrogen but it was at par with that of 80 kgN/ha on salt affected black soils ofthe region.