Impact of tillage and intra-row spacing on cotton yield and quality in wheat-cotton system

摘要

Farmers normally practice conventional tillage ((CT), disk plowing, cultivator, rotavator, and leveling) in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) with 15cm intra-row spacing to avoid risks of poor plant stand and obtain higher yield. However, CT is costly besides it has adverse effects on soil and crop when sown after wheat. Conservation tillage [zero tillage (ZT) or reduced tillage (RT)] with suitable spacing can reduce production cost, increase cotton yield and quality, and it has favorable effects on soil properties. Field experiments were conducted to evaluate cotton response to tillage (ZT, RT, and CT) and intra-row spacing (15.0, 22.5, 30.0, 37.5cm). Results revealed that RT produced higher bolls plant(-1), boll weight, seed cotton yield, ginning out turn, fiber length and strength than ZT and CT. Mean boll weight, seed cotton yield, earliness, and fiber qualities were optimum at 22.5cm spacing. Tillagexspacing interaction showed optimum boll weight, earliness, and fiber strength with 15.0-22.5cm spacing under RT. CT with 22.5cm spacing also performed better in terms of boll weight and fiber strength; however, 15.0cm spacing resulted in earlier maturity. RT with 22.5cm spacing is an alternative to CT for higher yield, earliness, and quality of cotton besides environmental safety.