Influence of Glufosinate ammonium on cotton yield and soil microbes
Research Type
Departmental Research
Experiment Background
India is the leading country in terms of area under cotton in the world. Gujarat, Maharashtra and Telangana are the major cotton growing states contributing around 70% of the area and 67% of cotton production in India. Globally, India is now at the first position in cotton cultivation with 12.24 mha area and 340.25 lakh bales of production (advance estimate for 2018-19 by Cotton Association of India 2019). However, weeds are still the major concern everywhere as they compete with crop for resources and make the crop vulnerable to insects and diseases by providing shelters for those harmful organisms and pathogens. If weeds are not checked on time, they may cause considerable or even full yield reduction of crop. Nandagavi and Halikatti (2016) highlighted that on an average, 40 to 85 % cotton yield can be reduced by weeds. Therefore, proper weed management practice is now the fundamental requisite for the cotton growers to address such drastic yield reduction. Hand weeding/interculture by far is the best and common conventional practice to manage weeds and consequently to increase yield and quality of cotton crop. However, in the present scenario of labour shortage and frequent rise of wages coupled with its non-suitability for all agro-climatic conditions uniformly, this uneconomical weeding option is losing focus and alternative options are getting acceptance in its place. Chemical measures of weed control is now gaining popularity among farmers as it is quick, economical and effective way to destroy weeds and contribute higher crop yield (Prematilake et al. 2004, Mirghasemi et al. 2012). In cotton, among several herbicidal applications, a contact herbicide, glufosinate ammonium (synthetic version of phosphinothricin i.e. by-product of bialaphos from Streptomyces viridochromogenes and S. hygroscopicus as reported by Droge-Laser et al. in 1994) is now receiving high attention and getting widely used for successful management of wide range of weed flora (Chompoo and Pornprom 2008) during critical crop weed competition period. However, chemical formulations always leave footprint on crop and soil since they are toxic in nature. Residual toxicity depends on chemical structure, formulation, dose, time and way of application of herbicides. Phytotoxic effect of herbicide on crop i.e. visual symptoms of chlorosis, wilting, scorching, necrosis, epinasty, hyponasty, yellowing etc. and impairment of soil biological activity through toxic substances are the major obstacles in use of chemical measures of weed control as their consequent effect is associated with growth and yield of the crop. Considering the above facts, an experiment will be executed to observe phytotoxic effects of glufosinate ammonium 13.5% SL (15% w/v) at different doses on cotton and soil micro-flora and their consequence on crop growth, yield and economics.
Experiment Group
Natural Resource Management
Unit Type
(02)EDUCATION UNIT
Unit
(21)COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE (BHARUCH)
Department
(317)Agronomy
BudgetHead
(337/12946/0A)337/01/REG/00351
Objective
To study the weed flora of cotton
To evaluate the efficiency of Glufosinate ammonium application on weed control and growth and yield of cotton
To know the microbial status of soil and influenced under Glufosinate ammonium application
Season
Kharif
Location Unit Type
(01)RESEARCH UNIT
Location Unit
(50)REGIONAL COTTON RESEARCH STATION MAKTAMPURA (BHARUCH)