EFFECT OF SOWING TIME AND PLANT SPACING ON FIBER QUALITY AND SEED COTTON YIELD

The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different sowing dates, plant spacing and their interaction on fiber quality traits and seed cotton yield in upland cotton during 2004-05 at Cotton Research Station, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan. Plant height was affected significantly by different sowing times and plant spacing, however their interaction was non-significant. Some fiber quality traits like fiber strength and ginning outturn (GOT %) were affected significantly by time of sowing, plant spacing and their interaction. The traits like fiber fineness, staple length and uniformity index were non-significantly affected by different sowing times, spacing and their interaction. Overall the seed cotton yield was greater (2828 kg ha^-1) in the plots sown on 25th April as compared to lowest seed cotton yield (2569 kg ha-1) recorded in the plots sown on 25th May. In case of plant spacing, the seed cotton yield was highest (3119 kg ha^-1) with 20 cm followed by decreased yield in 10 and 30 cm. The interaction of plant spacing and sowing dates was also significant for seed cotton yield and the highest yield was obtained in plots with 20 cm sown on 25th April, which might be due to optimum plant population on per unit area. However, the plots with 30 cm plant spacing sown on 10th May revealed lowest yield. Hence for getting the maximum seed cotton yield with best quality, the crop should be sown on 25th April with plant spacing of 20 cm under the agro-climatic conditions of Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan.