Evolution of Liquid Multinutrient Fertilizer for Hybrid Cotton
Divya K.
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
R. K. Kaleeswari *
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
D. Jeyanthi
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
D. Amirtham
Department of Biochemistry CPMB & B, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
K. Sankaranarayanan
Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), Regional Station, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
A field experiment was conducted to assess the effect of drip fertigation and foliar nutrition of liquid multi nutrient on growth, yield and quality parameters of hybrid cotton. Liquid fertilizer was formulated using micronutrient (Zn, Fe, Mn, B, Mo, Cu), Mg and S to meet the nutrient requirement of hybrid cotton. Field experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with three replications and seven treatments. Drip fertigation was applied with 100% recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) through water soluble fertilizer and Liquid Multinutrient (LMN). Treatment that received 100% RDF + LMN fertigation and foliar nutrition of LMN recorded the highest growth parameters (plant height, Leaf Area Index and dry matter production), yield parameters like number of sympodial branches/plant, number of bolls/plant, boll weight, seed cotton yield and quality parameters like staple length and ginning out turn per cent and in addition to that foliar nutrition of LMN containing Mg alleviated the Mg deficiency to the tune of 52% which in turn increases the above parameters. Fertigation and foliar nutrition of LMN enhanced the nutrient uptake of hybrid cotton that would economize the cost of fertilizer input.
Keywords: Fertigation, foliar nutrition, liquid multinutrient, hybrid cotton, magnesium deficiency