Evaluating the Performance of High Density Planting System of Cotton in Alfisols of Vikarabad District in Telangana, India

Abstract

A demonstrations were conducted in farmers field during the Kharif 2023 and 2024 in the Vikarabad district of Telangana to evaluate the performance of High-Density Planting System (HDPS) against traditional farmer's practices in cotton cultivation under ICAR-CICR special project on cotton by DAATT Centre Vikarabad. The results indicated that the HDPS treatment (T1) recorded a lower average plant height (101.35 cm) and a reduced average number of bolls per plant (23.5) when compared to the farmer's practice, which achieved an average plant height of 126.3 cm and an average of 36.5 bolls per plant. Despite of this, the HDPS system recorded 24.51 q/ha over farmers practice 18.03 q/ha, which is 36% higher than the farmer's practice. Economic analysis revealed that the HDPS system generated substantially higher net profits of ₹77,999 with a benefit-cost (B:C) ratio of 1.79, compared to ₹43,489.50 and a B:C ratio of 1.49 under the farmer's practice. This system of HDPS cotton ensures a viable and profitable alternative to traditional cotton farming practices, offering a pathway to enhanced productivity and sustainability for cotton growers in the region.