VARIOUS RATES OF K AND Na INFLUENCE GROWTH, SEED COTTON YIELD AND IONIC RATIO OF TWO COTTON VARIETIES IN SOIL CULTURE

Cotton is generally grown on alkaline calcareous soils in arid and semi-arid areas of the country. sodium can interact with other earth cations like k, ca and mg. therefore, a pot study was conducted to investigate the growth, yield and ionic response of two cotton varieties. four levels of k and na were developed after considering indigenous k, na status in soil. the treatments of k+na in mg/kg were adjusted as: 105+37.5, 135+30 135+37.5 and 105+30 (control). control treatment represented indigenous k, na status of soil. the experiment continued until maturity. application of k and na increased seed cotton yield and boll weight significantly (p<0.01). both varieties varied non-significantly with respect to k:na ratio in leaf. the beneficial effects of na with k application over control on seed cotton yield and boll weight were greater in nibge-2 than in mnh-786. increase in seed cotton yield was attributed to maximum boll weight of both varieties. significant negative correlation (r= -0.89, - 0.76, n= 4) was found between k:na ratio and k use efficiency in shoot of nibge-2 and mnh-786, respectively.