Exogenous application of bio-stimulant and growth retardant improved the productivity of cotton cultivars under different planting arrangement.

M Arif,S Naz,A Anwar,N Hussain,S H Shah,S A H Bukhari,A Shaheen,J Iqbal,S Mushtaq,M Aziz,A Yasmeen

doi:10.1590/1519-6984.238812

Abstract

Optimum planting arrangement is an important attribute for efficient utilization of available resources and to obtain high yield of cotton. Application of plant growth promoter and retardant on cotton in improved planting density are the innovative techniques in the establishment of more productive cotton crop. Therefore, we planned a field study to assess the role of bio-stimulant and growth retardant in the resource utilization efficiency of cotton cultivars planted under variable row spacing at Agronomic Research Area Bahauddin Zakariya University and Usmania Agricultural Farm Shujabad during Kharif 2012. Experimental treatments consisted of cotton genotypes viz. CIM-573 and CIM-598, cultivated under conventional (75 cm), medium (50 cm) and ultra-narrow row spacing (25 cm) with foliar spray of bio-stimulant (moringa leaf extract) and growth retardant (mepiquate chloride), either sole or in combination, keeping distilled water as a control. Exogenously applied MLE alone and MLE + MC significantly enhanced the number of squares, flowers and green bolls per plant leading to higher cotton seed and lint yield of CIM 598 cultivar cultivated under conventional row spacing. While application of MC alone and MLE + MC produced maximum micronaire value, fiber strength and fiber uniformity ratio of CIM 573 cultivar cultivated under conventional row spacing. The results suggested that application of MLE is a possible approach to enhance the cotton productivity and the use of MC to enhance the fiber quality attributes under conventional row spacing.

Highlights

Establishment of an appropriate plant stand is a basic agronomic factor to improve the crop productivity (Venugopalan et al, 2013)
In the work presented here, we aimed to evaluate the role of natural growth enhancer and synthetic growth retardant on the yield components and fiber quality of cotton cultivars cultivated under different row spacing
Leaf application of bio-stimulant and growth retardant considerably influenced all the yield and fiber quality attributes of cotton cultivars cultivated under different planting arrangement

Summary

Introduction

Establishment of an appropriate plant stand is a basic agronomic factor to improve the crop productivity (Venugopalan et al, 2013). Planting arrangement directly impacts the light interception, nutrients and moisture accessibility (Echer and Rosolem, 2015) which affects the plant height, branching arrangement, fruiting position and productivity. Reduction in row spacing can ensue improved solar radiation incidence earlier in the season due to early canopy development and closure that assist in weed suppression (Wright et al, 2011). Self-shading can hamper light interception on lower leaves as the canopy closes, reducing the photosynthesis and plant net assimilates production (Lv et al, 2013). Cotton as the rubisco has a great empathy with carbon dioxide and oxygen and photorespiration enhanced in lower radiation interception (Echer and Rosolem, 2015). Ethylene and sugar ratio enhances and the abscission percentage of reproductive structures is greater, ensuing in loss of cotton productivity and fiber quality attributes (Yasmeen et al, 2016)

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