Abstract
Markets for organically produced high quality cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) are projected to increase. Field experiments were conducted in Palamas, Karditsa in Central Greece, to compare the effects of two cropping systems on fiber quality of three cotton cultivars. The experiments, conducted during three years, were laid out in a split plot design with four replicates, two main plots (organic and conventional system) and three sub-plots (cotton cultivars). Findings suggest that fiber quality index (FQI), spinning consistency index (SCI) and multiplicative analytic hierarchy process (MAHP) are three indices that could be integrated in a useful protocol for the evaluation of different cropping systems for cotton cultivation. In particular, our results indicate that in general there was not any superiority of conventional compared to the organic cropping system regarding fiber quality as shown by the above mentioned indices. Regarding the length of the cotton fiber, this was positively correlated with micronair and the uniformity index of the cotton fiber. The organic system resulted to higher values of SCI than the ones of the conventional (1547.9 and 1522.3, respectively). The present 3-years study shows that organic cultivation of cotton can ensure high fiber quality and this was clearly confirmed by means of the several important indices.
Highlights
In many countries, including Greece, cotton is one of the major industrial plants (Avgoulas et al, 2005) but is one of the main manufacturing fiber plants (Papageorgiou et al, 2008)
Our result showed that time was an important factor affecting the fiber quality index (Table 2)
The multiple regression between length, micronair and the uniformity index of cotton fiber in organic cropping system is expressed through the following equation Length =4.37+0.5*Micronair+0.27*Uniformity (R2 = 0.75, p
Summary
In many countries, including Greece, cotton is one of the major industrial plants (Avgoulas et al, 2005) but is one of the main manufacturing fiber plants (Papageorgiou et al, 2008). The molecular weight of cellulose is highest among all plant fibers and it is characterized as highly crystalline (Gordon and Hsieh, 2007). It is well known that agricultural production in the last fifty years was strongly linked with the use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers This dependence on agrochemicals has resulted in many cases to the contamination of surface and underground water resources and no-target organisms. The latest technological requirements for fabric cotton fibers with improved specifications increased the global competition. This is closely related with practices regarding treatment (Blaise et al, 2005), sowing date (Pettigrew, 2002), chemical applications (Gormus, 2002) and irrigation (Constable and Hearn, 1981). The information regarding fiber quality of organic cotton is rather inadequate
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