Abstract
BackgroundCottonseed oil and protein content as well as germination traits are major indicators of seed quality. However, the responses of these indicators to plant density and mepiquat chloride (MC) are still uncertain. To investigate plant density and MC effects on cottonseed yield and main quality parameters, we conducted a two-year field experiment including four plant densities (1.35, 2.55, 3.75 and 4.95 plants·m− 2) and two doses of MC (0 and 135 g·hm− 2) in Dafeng, Jiangsu Province, in 2013 and 2014.ResultsThe application of MC reduced plant height, fruit branch length and fruiting branch number under different plant densities, resulting in a lower and more compact plant canopy. Cottonseed yield showed a nonlinear increase as plant density increasing and achieved the highest value at 3.75 plants·m− 2, regardless of MC application. No significant interactions were found between plant density and MC for cottonseed yield and quality parameters. The 100-seed weight, cottonseed oil content and vigor index significantly decreased as plant density increased, while these parameters significantly increased with MC applying under different plant densities. Seed vigor index was positively correlated with 100-seed weight and seed oil content across different plant densities and MC treatments.ConclusionsThus, application of MC could realize a win-win situation between cottonseed yield and main quality parameters under various densities; and plant density of 3.75 plants·m− 2 combined with 135 g·hm− 2 of MC applying is optimal for high cottonseed yield and quality in this cotton production area.
Highlights
Cottonseed oil and protein content as well as germination traits are major indicators of seed quality
Plant morphological characters and boll setting percentage The cotton plant height, fruiting branch number, fruiting node number significantly influenced by plant density, mepiquat chloride (MC), and plant density × MC (P < 0.05)
Mean fruiting branch length was significantly affected by plant density and MC, and the first fruiting branch height of cotton was only significantly affected by plant density (Table 1)
Summary
Cottonseed oil and protein content as well as germination traits are major indicators of seed quality. Cottonseeds provide the second and fifth largest potential source of plant protein and oil producing in the world, respectively (Li et al 2009a). This makes the seeds the second economic importance among the cotton products and gives cotton growers more opportunities to increase returns from cotton production (Rast 1917; Stansbury et al 1954; Zhao and Guo 2011). Cottonseeds are the fundamental of cotton production because healthy and stronger seedlings would be a fantastic support for the subsequent cotton plant growth (Bewley 1997; Sawan 2016). The yield and quality of cottonseed, which should be paid more attention to, were neglected in both cotton research and production (de Faria et al 2013; Thomas et al 2013)
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