Irrigation Management

Irrigation Management :: Cotton

Irrigated Cotton – Water Management

Regulate irrigation according to the following growth phases of the crop.

Stages	No. of Irrigations	Days after dibbling seeds
Stages	No. of Irrigations	Light soil	Heavy soil
Germination Phase(1-15 days)
Irrigate for germination and establishment	1	Immediately after sowing	Immediately after sowing
Irrigate for germination and establishment	2	Give a life irrigation on 5th day of sowing to facilitate the seedlings to emerge out	Give a life irrigation on 5th day of sowing to facilitate the seedlings to emerge out
Vegetative phase (16-44 days)
Regulate	1	Irrigate on the 20th or 21st day of sowing, three days after hoeing and Weeding	Irrigate on the 20th or 21st day of sowing, three days after hoeing and weeding
Regulate	2	Irrigate again on the 35th or 36th day of sowing	Irrigate again on the 40th day of Sowing
Flowering phase (45-100daysfor hybrids and 87 days for varieties)
Irrigate copiously	1	48th day	55th day
	2	60th day	70th day
	3	72nd day	85th day
	4	84th day	100th day
	5	96th day	**

** For TCHB 213 and Suvin only.

Maturity phase (beyond 100 days for hybrids and 88 days for varieties)			For all varieties other than Suvin, and TCHB 213
Control irrigation during maturity phase		1	108th day	115th day
		2	120th day	130th day
		3	130th day
		4	144th day
		Stop Irrigation after 150th day
		For Suvin, TCHB213
		1	108th day	115th day
		2	120th day	130th day
		3	132nd day	145th day
		4	144th day	160th day
		5	158th day	...
Stop irrigation after 160th day
NOTE: i.	If irrigation is given on climatological approach, Schedule the irrigation at 0.40 and 0.60 IW/CPE ratio during vegetative and reproductive phases respectively.
ii)	The irrigation schedule given above is only a guideline and regulate the irrigation
	depending upon the prevailing weather condition and receipt of rains.
iii)	Adopt alternate furrow or skip furrow irrigation to save irrigation water.

The features of the methods are furnished below:
Skip furrow irrigation

Suited to heavy soils like clay and loam
Alternate furrows should be skipped and may be converted to ridges having a wide bed formation.
Short term crops like pulses may be raised in wider bed without exclusive irrigation.
Water saving is 50% when compared to control.

Alternate furrow irrigation

During any one run of irrigation a particular set of alternate furrows is irrigated.
The interval of irrigation should be shortened when compared to the conventional furrows.
During the next run, the left over furrows be irrigated.
Suited to heavy soils like clay and loam.

Cotton cultivation under flood irrigation

Cotton cultivation under drip irrigation

Sprinkler irrigation in cotton

Source: www.cicr.nic.in