Water is a key component which influences the magnitude of agricultural production. Water requirement of the crops is fulfilled from the water reserves stored in the soil profile through rains received during crop period and supplemental irrigations.Underground and canal water are the main source of irrigation in cotton belt of Punjab. About 70% of the underground water in this region are of poor quality. In order to sustain the productivity over the longer period, it is utmost important to make thejudicious use of the available water. In cotton, the proper water management is of paramount importance as the crop growth is strongly influenced by both the water stress as well as water stagnation. Root depth and proliferation play a major role in water and nutrient uptake and thereby better crop productivity. Deeper tap root system in cotton also prevents the crop from lodging. In cotton the root growth depends on soil type, soil moisture, prevailing weather and the genotypes used. Cotton requires four to six irrigations, depending upon the seasonalrainfall. Scheduling of irrigation to cotton crop depends upon water retentive capacity of soil, weather conditions, rainfall and crop development stage of the crop.
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