Effect of Cow Dung Dose and Sowing Density on the Agronomic Performance of a Cotton Variety (Gossypium hirsutum l.) Grown in the Bere Region in the North-West of Côte d'Ivoire

Abstract

The present study aims to determine the optimal dose of ox dung and the sowing density that optimize the yield of seed cotton in the region of BERE in the North-West of Côte d'Ivoire. Six fertilizer doses (T0, T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5) were tested. Among these six doses, T1, T2, T3 and T4 are composed of a mixture of ox dung and NPK mineral fertilizer, T0 is the mineral NPK fertilizer and T5 is composed only of cattle dung. These doses were tested on cotton plants through 4 seeding densities : low density (LowD : 50 cm x 80 cm with 2 plant.pocket-1, either 50000 Plant.ha-1), medium density 1 (Me D1: 40 cm x 80 cm with 2 plant.pocket-1, either 62500 Plant.ha-1), medium density 2 (Me D2 : 20 cm x 80 cm with 1 plant.pocket-1, either 62500 Plant.ha-1) and high density (Hi D : 30 cm x 80 cm with 2 plant.pocket-1, with 83500 Plant.ha-1). Observations focused on six agronomic parameters. All the organo-mineral treatments were more productive than the simple NPK and beef dung treatment. The T2 treatment (2000 kg.ha-1 of cow dung + 100 kg.ha-1 of NPK) made it possible to observe the highest values ​​of the number of capsules per plant (14.37 capsules), of the cottonseed mass per plant (57.02 g) and seed cotton yield (3636.23 kg.ha-1). In terms of sowing density, cotton plants sown under high density (Hi D : 30cm x 80cm, or 83,500 Plant.ha-1) gave a higher seed cotton yield (3950.68 kg.ha-1). The medium seed cotton yield of cotton plants reached its optimum (4434.77 kg.ha-1) when they were sown at high density (83500 Plant.ha-1) and treated with T2 (2000 kg.ha-1 of cattle dung + 100 kg.ha-1 of NPK).