Development and Growth: Influence of Sowing Dates on Performance of Cotton Cultivars

Abstract

C (Gossypium hirsutum L.) plant is recognized as white gold and warm humid area of the world under its cultivation (Meredith et al., 1997). In the world, Pakistan ranked 3rd being a consumer and fourth in terms of production (GoP, 2015-16). It has a leading role in Pakistan’s economy as a main cash crop. Moreover, foreign exchange earnings and support about 1.5 million rural economies (Hussain et al., 2010; Ahmad et al., 2009). Cotton crop share in value addition is 5.1 % and in gross domestic production is 1.0% (GoP, 2015-16). Recent economic importance of cotton is 2.917 million hectares’ areas with total production and average yield are 10.074 million bales and 587 kg per hectare, respectively (GoP, 2015-16). Abstract | Agriculture has a principal impact on Pakistan’s economy since its existence. The cotton crop is considered the backbone of agriculture and research are mandatory to augment its production. Indigenous cultivars have an impressive production potential while climatic sowing dates fluctuation during crop planting is the leading hindrance in its production. Therefore, this one-year field experiment was performed to assess the result of varying cultivars and sowing dates on developmental and allometric traits of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) under the agro-ecological conditions at Sargodha, Punjab, during Kharif season, 2015. The study consisted of i) three cultivars viz. Bt. FH-142, Bt. MNH-886 and FDH-170 and ii) three sowing dates viz. 21st April, 5th May and 20th May. Cultivars and sowing dates improved developmental and allometric traits of cotton in the study year. Significantly, 21st April cotton sowing observed maximum days taken from planting to first flower and boll opening, fruiting branch and branch height (65.02), (112.56), (10.02) and (26.43 cm) in FDH-170, respectively while boll maturation (48.05) was noted in Bt. MNH886. Sowing date 5th May plot recorded more leaf area index and net assimilation rate in FDH-170 (4.45 and 3.87 g m-2 day1) while leaf area duration and crop growth rate in Bt. FH-142 (282.32 and 6.67 g m-2 day-1), respectively. Significantly, higher TDM production was recorded on 21st April in Bt. FH-142 (1104.33 g m-2). Therefore, cotton should be grown among after 15th April to before 10th May with cultivars FHD-170, Bt. FH-142 and Bt. MNH-886 respectively under semi-arid conditions of Pakistan. Amjed Ali1, Rafi Qamar1*, Muhammad Ehsan Safdar1, Salman Saleem2, Sami Ullah3, Muhammad Arshad Javed4 and Syed Wasim Hasan5