Impact of foliar fertilization of nutrients and biofertilizer on the growth and yield of hybrid cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

The newly released high yielding cotton cultivars are higher boll retention rate than conventional cultivars that have higher overall nutrient demand during the flowering and boll development stages. Therefore, this field experiment was conducted at during summer, 2020 at Annamalai University experimental farm, Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai Nagar, Tamil Nadu, India, 608 002 to ascertain the impact of foliar application of essential nutrients and biofertilizers on growth and yield of cotton. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with twelve treatments of foliar application macro and micro-nutrients with and without Pink pigmented facultative methylotrophic bacteria (PPFM) and replicated thrice. Foliar application of macro, micronutrients and PPFM registered the increased values of growth characters, yield attributes and yield of hybrid cotton. Among the foliar application practice tested, foliar application of 2% urea + 1% PPFM at flowering and boll development stages significantly resulted in the enhances values of growth characters viz., plant height (157.40 cm), Dry matter production (6003 kg/ha), number of monopodial branches (3.28/plant), growth analysis like Leaf area index (4.30), Crop growth rate (7.01 g/m²/day) and Relative growth rate (0.0144 g/g/day), yield attributes viz., number of sympodial branches (21.77/plant), number of squares (83.77/plant), number of bolls (45.04/plant), boll weight (5.58 g) and seed cotton yield (3185 kg/ha). This was statistically on par with the foliar application of 2% MgSO₄ + 1% PPFM at flowering and boll development stages. The lower values of growth characters, yield attributes and yield were recorded under water spray treatment. Based on the results of field investigation it can be concluded that foliar application of 2% urea + 1% PPFM at flowering and boll development stages can possibly enhance the growth and yield of hybrid cotton grown under dryland condition.