Cotton plants sown by HDPS (File photo) Photo Credit: By Agreement
Cotton farmers in Siddipette, one of the main neighborhoods producing cotton in Telangana, witness higher yields and improved revenues with the adoption of high density planting system (GDP) thanks to a special cotton project at the Central Cotton Institute (CicR), which has been performed since 2023.
The project is implemented through Krishi Vigian Kendra (KVK), Tunini in Medak district, and is part of the National Food Safety Mission (NFSM) and covers rain farmers of cotton across five states, including Telangana. In Siddipet, 266 GDP farmers accepted during the 2024 kharif season.
“Traditionally, farmers in Siddipette cultivate cotton on sand aluminum soils under rain conditions using a square planting system (SPS), maintain gaps of 90 × 90 cm and sowing two seeds on a hill, resulting in approximately 10,000 plants per acre. Ravi Palithiya.
On the other hand, GDP includes sowing a single seed on the hill on closer 90 × 15 cm spacing, which increases the plant population three times to 30,000 plants per acre. This denser system, although requires more seeds and initial inputs, has shown remarkable benefits in revenue and cost efficiency.
Normal cotton and HDPS cotton plants Photo Credit: By Agreement
“We recommend farmers to apply Mepiquat chloride chloride, plant growth regulator (PGR) to handle canopy growth and ensure light and air penetration to reduce the occurrence of pests and disease,” said Ravi Palthiya, a special project, a time exhibition and time. Narrow to devote himself to and over time, and to verify and disrupted, and disturbed, and frivolous, and frivolous, and frivolous, and pouring, and growing, and disrupts that it is fascia and disrupts, and frivolous, and disrupts and disrupts and disrupts and disrupts and disturbed.
The transition to HDPS increased seed costs from 1,728 GBP to 5 184 GBP per acre and increased the cost of sowing. Farmers, however, saved expenditures related to the designation of the series and Hoeing drawn by a bull, which reduced the need for traditional two -way intercultural operations. According to the ICAR study, the overall expenditure resulted in further expenditure for additional expenditures of 11,256 GBP per acre.
Despite increased costs, the yield has improved significantly – from 8 quintals to 12 quintals per acre – generated an increased income of 30,084 GBP per acre. Reduction of the harvest wheels, due to the uniform maturity of the Boll, also helped reduce labor costs during collection.
HDPS Cotton Field (File Photo) | Photo Credit: By Agreement
Kunta Kista Reddy from the village of Ahmadipur in Gajwel Mandal, which accepted GDP on two acres, showed improved plant growth uniformity 15-20% increased yield. “The well -managed canopy and synchronized maturity helped to avoid late attacks on the pest. Although fertilizer and irrigation control required more attention, the system proved to be beneficial,” he said.
Chada Sudhakar Reddy of Eppalagudam in Markook Mandal shared a similar experience. “At first I hesitated to accept GDP and sowing machines. But the results were above expectations. I used less work and inputs, but harvested more cotton and achieved better profits,” he said.
Published – 2 July 2025 17:29
