EFFECT OF WEANING IRRIGATION DATES AND SPRAYING WITH DROUGHT TOLERANCE MATERIALS ON GROWTH AND PRODUCTIVITY OF VARIETY COTTON GIZA 94.

Abstract

Two field experiments were carriedout in Sakha Agricultural Research Station at Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, Egypt, during the growing seasons 2018 and 2019 to study the effect of weaning irrigation dates and spraying with drought tolerance materials on growth, earliness, yield and its components and fiber quality of cotton for Giza 94 cotton variety belonging to (Gossypium barbadense, L). The experimental design was a split plot with four replications. The main plots involved the four weaning irrigation dates (last irrigation dates) (control, after 4 irrigation, after 5 irrigation and after 6 irrigation after the first irrigation date), and the sub plots included drought tolerance materials (control without treatment, sprayed with K-Silicate, sprayed with K-Acetate and sprayed with Glycine betaine). The obtained results revealed that weaning irrigation after 4 irrigation from planting had significantly increased earliness % in both seasons. While, significantly decreased the days to first flower, days to first open boll in the both seasons compared with the other treatments. While, had significant effect on no. of open bolls/plant, boll weight and seed cotton yield/fed., were insignificantly affected seed index and lint % in both seasons. Spraying drought tolerance materials had a significant effect on plant height in both seasons, while did not exhibit significant effect on, first fruiting node, days to first flower, days to first open boll and earliness %.Yield and yield components traits were significantly affected by drought tolerance materials treatments except seed index and lint % in both seasons. Sprayed with Glycine betaine significantly increased no. of open bolls/plant, boll weight and seed cotton yield/fed. The weaning irrigation dates, spraying drought tolerance materials and the interaction between them did not exhibit significant effect on all fiber properties under study.It could be concluded that using weaning irrigation after six irrigation from planting and spraying drought tolerance materials with Glycine betaine at 600 g/fed. gave high productivity of cotton Giza 94.