Abstract
Excessive fertilization, low nutrient utilization rate, and continuous deterioration of cotton field environment have adversely affected the sustainable development of cotton in Xinjiang province of China. To overcome these issues, we hypothesized that an appropriate combination of liquid organic fertilizer and chemical fertilizer (CF) would effectively reduce the input of CF without sacrificing the quality and yield of cotton. A 2-year field experiment explores the effects of three fertilization treatments on the growth, biomass accumulation, and yield of cotton. The three fertilization treatments, namely, no application of fertilizer (CK), the single application of CF, and the combined application of organic liquid fertilizer and CF (F0.6–F1.4), were set up in five ratios. Compared with CF treatment, the combined application of organic liquid fertilizer and CF treatments (F0.6–F1.2) speeded the growth period of cotton by 2–7 days with increased plant height, stem diameter, functional leaf width, and more number of branches, with 9.7–23.5 and 8.4–28.5% higher total plant biomass (TPB) and reproductive organs biomass (ROB), respectively. Compared with CF treatment, the rapid growth duration and maximum accumulation rate of reproductive organs were the highest in F0.8 treatment, with an average increase of 4.6 days and 20.3%. Increment in biomass accumulation contributed to an average increase of 21.8 and 18.9% in cotton boll number and yield, respectively, under F0.8 treatment. Principal component analysis shows that the total biomass, ROB, and total bolls per unit area were positively correlated with the yield, while stem diameter and vegetative organ biomass are negatively correlated with the yield. In conclusion, under film mulching with drip irrigation, organic liquid fertilizer combined with CF reduced by 20% (F0.8 treatment: N, P2O5, and K2O were 182, 104, and 76 kg hm–2, respectively) can sustain the normal growth, promote the accumulation rate of ROB, and lead to efficient cotton production.
Highlights
China had a 25.6% of the cotton production worldwide in 2020, and its seeded area was 10.1% of the total world (Arshad et al, 2021)
Compared with chemical fertilizer (CF) treatment, the growth period of F0.6 and F0.8 treatments was 5–8 more days earlier; squaring period, flowering, and boll setting period were shortened by 6–8 days; and the flowering and boll setting period of F1.2 and F1.4 treatments increased by 3–4 days
The functional leaf width was higher at peak at full flowering stage under CF treatment, while the combined application of organic liquid fertilizer and CF treatments had higher at peak at full boll stage
Summary
China had a 25.6% of the cotton production worldwide in 2020, and its seeded area was 10.1% of the total world (Arshad et al, 2021). Xinjiang, being a high-quality cotton production area in China, had 25,019 km of cotton planting area, accounting for 78.9% of the total in the country. Xinjiang has become an important region that affects the world cotton production pattern (Lou et al, 2021). The pursuit of high yield is often accompanied by the increasing input of chemical fertilizer (CF) (Dong et al, 2010). To ensure the efficient and sustainable development of cotton in Xinjiang, exploring a reasonable fertilization model has become one of the key challenges for cotton researchers
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
