Impact of organic and inorganic nutrient management on yield, nutrient uptake and fibre quality of coloured cotton (Vaidehi 1)

Cotton is one of the most widely grown and important fibre crops in the world, serving as the backbone of the textile industry. However, Conventional white cotton has several environmental drawbacks, including high water comsumption, reliance on synthetic chemicals and the need for dyes, which lead to soil degradation, water pollution and health risks for farmers. In contrast, organic coloured cotton offers a sustainable alternative by producing colourful fibres naturally without synthetic dyes. It also enhances soil fertility, conserves water and reduces chemical inputs, benefiting both the environment and farming communities. Therefore, field experiments were conducted at the Central farm, Agricultural College and Research Institute, TNAU, Madurai, Tamil Nadu during Kharif 2023 and Summer 2024 to evaluate a comparative assessment of organic and inorganic nutrient management practices on yield, nutrient uptake and quality parameters of coloured cotton. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with nine treatments of nitrogen (N) on an equivalent basis, using different organic manures, compared with inorganic fertilizers and replicated thrice. A significant increase in yield and nutrient uptake of coloured cotton was recorded with 100% NPK applied through site-specific recommendations (T1), which was on par with 100% NPK through blanket recommendations (T2). Organic treatments that incorporated cover crops and green manure, along with vermicompost, poultry manure and FYM, also showed comparable results to inorganic treatments. However, no significant differences were observed in the quality parameters across the various nutrient management practices.