Author(s): A. KAUL, J. S. DEOL AND A. S. BRAR

Abstract: Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) yields varied considerably among years and locations, even under adequate nutrient and water supply. Since photosynthesis is one of the principal components in determining yield. So, the objective of this study was to determine how manipulations of ratio of photosynthetic source to reproductive sink affect cotton lint yield and yield components. Field studies were conducted in 2011 and 2012 on a loamy sand soil of Ludhiana, India with four source to sink manipulations; [P1 (All fruiting forms were removed except first position), P2 (All fruiting forms were removed except second position), P1P2 (All fruiting forms were removed except first and second position) and untreated control] imposed on three genotypes (MRC 7017, MRC 7031 and RCH 314) in split plot design with four replications. The results revealed that the P1P2 yielded 23.2 and 22.02 per cent higher seed cotton yield over P1 and 55.5 and 52.9 per cent over P2 during 2011 and 2012, respectively. However, the seed cotton yield recorded in P1 was 26.3 and 25.4 per cent higher than P2. The increase in yield was attributed to higher yield attributes in P1P2 followed by P1 as compared to P2. These results suggest that cotton may not be able to achieve its full yield potential if limited to one boll per fruiting branch.

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