Vol. 7, Issue 9, Part I (2025)

The present study was undertaken in Yavatmal district of Maharashtra state in which cotton crop is grown as important commercial crop. The investigation was carried out with view to examine the trends in area, production and productivity and comparative resource use structure, to estimate per hectare cost and returns The study also assessed major constraints faced by farmers practicing high density planting system (HDPS). In cotton cultivation from Yavatmal district of Maharashtra state.The investigation was based on primary data on 45 conventional and 45 HDPS of cotton farmers collected from three tehsil namely Ralegaon, Kalamb and Babhulgaon of Yavatamal district. Pertained to the year 2023-24. Maharashtra’s cotton sector experienced substantial increases in area, production, and productivity area remains steady in last decade’s 2004-05 to 2023-24 whereas Yavatmal district experienced moderate growth in acreage and notable increases in both production and yield in 2004-05 to 2013-14 due to use Bt cotton varieties but in this district experienced a gradual and statistically significant rise in the area under cotton cultivation. However, despite some improvements, production and productivity showed inconsistent trends with considerable variability, likely influenced by factors such as climatic changes, pest attacks like bollworm, and uneven use of agricultural inputs in 2014-15 to 2023-24. HDPS farmers demonstrated comparatively higher utilization of resources across nearly all inputs than the conventional except nitrogen, phosphorus and potash because conventional farmers had not followed fertiliser use recommendations. Additionally, cotton yield was also greater on HDPS farmers compared to the conventional. The per hectare cost of cultivation of cotton was worked out to be ₹ 160411.80 in HDPS while in Conventional 143067.10 The cost ‘A’ was 126043.45 in HDPS and 105793.75 in conventional or contributing 78.57 and 73.95 per cent share in the cost ‘C’ in HDPS and conventional. In cost ‘A’, the major item of cost was hired human labour i.e., 38325.33 and 49338.78 in conventional and HDPS, contributing 26.79 and 30.76 per cent share in the cost ‘C’ in conventional and HDPS. The per hectare expenditure on plant protection charges was worked out to 7100.20 and 12635.51 contributing 4.96 and 7.88 per cent share in the cost ‘C’ in conventional and HDPS.B:C ratio was 2.09 and 1.48 in HDPS and conventional system. The constraints such as in-appropriate rainfall, unavailability of timely labour in peak period, bollworm complex management, variable market price of cotton and others were the major constraints faced by HDPS cotton farmers, in the cotton production. The study suggested that, the farmer should enhanced their existing productivity of 28.30 and 44.70 quintals/ha which is fair below than that of potential productivity 30 and 48 quintal/ha of conventional and HDPS by adopting recommend package of practices in cotton for minimizing the yield gap.