Field Preparation

• Prepare the field to get fine tilth .
• Once in three years, plough the field with chisel plough to break the subsurface hard pan.

• Apply well decomposed FYM @ 5.0 t/ac before last ploughing.
• Apply 800 kg of vermicompost / ac on 45 days after sowing and spray Panchagavya @ 3 % on 30, 60 and 90 days after sowing
• Apply carrier based or liquid formulation of biofertilizers:
• - Mix 1 kg of each biofertilizers viz., Azospirillum, Phosphobacteria (or) Azophos and Silicate solubilizing bacteria (SSB) with 10 kg of FYM and 10 kg of sand per acre
• - Mix 200 ml each of biofertilizers viz., Azospirillum, Phosphobacteria (or) Azophos and Silicate solubilizing bacteria (SSB) with 10 kg of FYM and 10 kg of sand per acre Broadcast any one of the above mixture uniformly at the time of last ploughing

45

30

90

• Form ridges and furrows 10 m long with appropriate spacing, as indicated below, using ridge plough or bund former.

Ridge Spacing(cm

Between plants

hirsutum varieties

75

barbadense varieties

• Irrigate immediately after sowing followed by life irrigation on 5th day after sowing.
• Subsequent irrigation to be done according to the climate and soil condition.
• Ensure irrigation on critical stages namely germination phase (1-15 days), vegetative phase (16-44 days) and flowering phase (85-90 days)

• Acalypha indica, Cyanodon dactylon, Cyperus rotundus, Digera arvensis, Chloris barbata, Trianthema portulacastrum and Parthenium hysterophorus are the major weed species
• Maintain the field weed free during critical stages viz., vegetative and flowering phases .
• Need based manual weeding and stubble mulching with organic materials to control weeds.