Growing cotton with drip in Gujarat. Want to know critical irrigation stages and how to schedule water.
How many irrigations does cotton need and when (kapas)?
BBharat Vala1yr ago · 432 views
5 Answers
🌾Farmer.in Krishi TeamExpert ✓1yr ago
Cotton needs water most at flowering and boll development, these are the critical stages where stress cuts yield sharply. With drip in Gujarat black soils, irrigate little and often based on crop stage and weather rather than a fixed count. Keep moisture steady but never waterlogged at squaring, flowering, and boll filling, and reduce water near maturity so bolls open well and picking is clean. Avoid heavy irrigation right before picking as it delays opening and invites boll rot. Drip with mulch saves water and reduces weeds. The exact litres depend on your soil, spacing, and ET, so set drip run times using local recommendations from your KVK or Junagadh Agricultural University for cotton drip scheduling.
🌾Farmer.in Krishi TeamExpert ✓1yr ago
Black cotton soil holds water for days, so do not water on a calendar, check the soil first. I dig a little near the root zone and only run the drip when it is drying at that depth. Over watering a heavy soil is as harmful as drought because the roots suffocate and bolls rot. Set your run times from the Junagadh or KVK drip schedule for your exact soil and water quality.
JJentibhai Patel1yr ago
Drip changed my cotton in Rajkot. I water short cycles at flowering and stop early before picking. Bolls open better and I get less rotting compared to flood irrigation I used before.
HHasmukh Bhadania1yr ago
A caution from a dry year, do not let cotton hit severe stress at squaring and then suddenly flood it. That swing causes heavy shedding of squares and small bolls. Steady, smaller doses kept my crop calm, while my neighbour who irrigated in big jerks lost a lot of early fruit.
VVipul Savaliya1yr ago
Mulching under drip made a real difference for me on black soil. A straw or plastic mulch kept the moisture even between cycles and cut the weeds, so the crop did not feel the gaps between waterings. It also reduced surface cracking that used to break fine roots in the heat.