The development of high yielding cotton hybrids is essential to meet the current cotton demands. On the other hand, the cotton ratooning allows to obtain maximum seed yields with early maturity of plant. Therefore, the present study was aimed to investigate the per se performance, ratooning ability and heterosis effects for yield and yield contributing traits in 28 novel hybrids through line x tester analysis by considering four varieties as lines and seven varieties as testers. Significant variability was observed for all investigated traits excluding the number of monopodial branches and boll weight traits in parents and their 28 hybrids. Among the parents, TSH 0499 and TSH 04/115 exhibited a fair performance for yield and yield contributing traits and SURABHI, TSH 0250 and VS 9-S11-1 expressed superior ratooning ability. Therefore, these parents have a potential to be exploited for the development of the efficient cotton hybrids. Among the tested F1 hybrids, TSH 0499 x TCH 1777, BGDS 1063 x TCH 1819, TSH 0499 x TCH 1819 and TSH 04/115 x SVPR 4 hybrids recorded superior performance for number of bolls, boll weight, lint index and seed cotton yield in first crop, respectively. The hybrids ARBC 19 x TSH 0250, TSH 0499 x SURABHI , TSH 0499 x TSH 0250 and TSH 0499 x TCH 1705-101 displayed good ratooning performance for number of bolls, boll weight, lint index and seed cotton yield, respectively. All the hybrids expressed a range of significantly positive and negative heterosis for tested traits. However, the observed negative heterosis for seed index is desirable since the hybrids produce more lint. The results of this study would give insights into the understanding of genetic variance present in the intra-hirsutum hybrids.

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Crop management is one of the most important factors in modern agricultural activity. Studying the balance of growth stages and supplying optimal quantities of mineral nutrients and hormones to growing plants is essential to improve yield in short duration cotton varieties. In recent years, several approaches have been tried to break this yield plateau. The present investigation was intended to study and improve the yield of newly released variety Co 17 (compact cotton) by foliar application of nutrients, growth hormones, growth retardants and nutrient consortium. The treatments are mepiquat chloride (0.015%), potassium silicate (0.5%), Potassium schoenite (0.5%), borax (0.3%), salicylic acid (0.01%), calcium silicate (0.5%) and TNAU cotton plus (1.25%). Foliar application of different treatments at peak vegetative and flowering stage significantly influenced the leaf traits, root traits, and yield. Nutrient consortium (TNAU cotton plus – 53% over control) and growth retardant (mepiquat chloride- 42% over control) increased the seed cotton yield.

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