Variety

CO17 – compact variety, 135 days duration, single harvest

Field preparation with application of FYM and biofertilizers

• Prepare the field to get a fine tilth.
• At the time of last ploughing, apply FYM (5t/ac) and biofertilizers viz., 1.0 kg each of Azospirillum, Phosphobacteria (or) Azophos, and Silicate solubilizing bacteria (SSB) mixed with 10kg of FYM and 10kg of sand, per acre.

Seed Treatment

• As in irrigated cotton.
Treat the seeds with Imidacloprid 70 WS @ 10 g/kg seed before sowing for sucking pest management

Spacing

Adopt spacing of 100 x 10 cm or 90 x 15 cm

Sowing

Dibble the seeds at a depth of 3-5 cm using Pneumatic seed drill.

Fertilizer Application

• Follow the fertilizer schedule as below

            Irrigated :  40:20:20 Kg N: P2O5: K2O /ac.
            Rainfed: 20:10:20 Kg N: P2O5: K2O /ac

Apply 50 % of N and K2O, full dose of P2O5 as basal and remaining 50 % of N and K2O @  40 – 45 DAS.

Weed Management

• Spray Pendimethalin (38.7% CS) @ 260 ml/ acre or pendimethalin (30% EC) 400 ml/acre within third day after sowing followed by one power weeding or hand weeding on 45 DAS.
• Spray pyrithiobac sodium @ 25 g/ac + quizalofop ethyl @20 g/ac at 2 to 4 leaf stage of the weeds, If post emergence application of herbicide is warranted.

Physiological Intervention

• Spray Cotton Plus @ 2.5 kg/acre mixed in 200 litres of water or Spray 40 ppm of NAA (40 mg of NAA dissolved in one litre of water) at flowering and at boll formation stages

Water Management

• Irrigate immediately after sowing and followed by life irrigation on 5th day after sowing
• Regulate subsequent irrigations according to the soil type, prevailing weather conditions and receipt of rains.
• Ensure irrigation at critical crop growth stage – Square formation and boll maturity stage.

Canopy Management

Spray Mepiquat Chloride (0.015%) at flowering and boll development stage

Plant Protection

Pest and disease management to be done by employing self propelled high clearance boom sprayer

Defoliator Spray

Apply defoliants like sodium chlorate (0.9%) at 60% boll bursting stage.

Harvesting

Single harvest @ 140 DAS