Abstract
The effects of water and nutrient control measures on the cotton plant height, stem diameter, biomass, seed yield, and soil moisture under an irrigated plastic mulch production system were studied. Using field experiments in the 2018 cotton-growing season, 6 fertilization treatments (30-10.5-4.5 (N-P2O5-K2O), 24-8.4-3.6 (N-P2O5-K2O), 20-7-3 (N-P2O5-K2O), 16-5.6-2.4 (N-P2O5-K2O), 10-3.5-1.5 (N-P2O5-K2O), and 0-0-0 (N-P2O5-K2O) kg/mu) and 6 deficit irrigation treatments (40% PET, 60% PET, and 80% PET) were established at the cotton budding and flowering stages. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) (P<0.05) was used to evaluate the significant differences among the treatments. The results showed that the effects of the water and nutrient control measures were obvious. The irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) was the highest under the 80% deficit irrigation (T7) treatment at the flowering stage (2.62 kg/m3). Increases in cotton plant height and stem diameter were promoted by mild or moderate deficit irrigation at the flowering stage, but normal growth and development were affected by severe deficit irrigation at any growth stage. The growth indexes of cotton increased with increasing fertilization, but significant differences between each fertilization gradient were not obvious. At the same time, excessive fertilization not only had a positive effect on the LAI (leaf area index) and yield but also caused fertilizer waste and unnecessary cotton growth. The cotton seed yield and single boll yield reached their highest values (566 kg/mu) under the 1.2 times fertilizer treatment (T9), but the 0.8 times fertilizer treatment had the highest IWUE among the nutrient control treatments (1.91 kg/m3). Therefore, it is suggested that deficit irrigation at 60~80% of the potential evapotranspiration (PET) at the flowering stage and 16-5.6-2.4 (N-P2O5-K2O) fertilizer be applied as an optimal water and nutrient management strategy to maximize the seed cotton yield, IWUE, and overall growth and development of cotton.
Highlights
Xinjiang is the most important high-quality commodity cotton production base in China
Because drip irrigation is a type of partial irrigation, the area under the dripper is humid during irrigation; after irrigation, soil moisture is changed by many factors, such as the crop root system, atmospheric evaporation, self-gravity, and the influence of film mulching, which makes the conditions in the surrounding soil more complex and causes soil moisture to have both temporal and spatial distribution patterns [36]
Soil moisture has a significant effect on cotton growth; when the water supply is excessive, vegetative growth is vigorous but can become excessive, increasing crop water consumption and reducing irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE)
Summary
Xinjiang is the most important high-quality commodity cotton production base in China. The shortage of irrigation water resources restricts the comprehensive improvement of cotton productivity [1]. Water-deficit irrigation practices are inevitable for the sustainable development of Xinjiang’s agricultural economy [2,3,4]. Saline-alkali land is widely distributed in Xinjiang, accounting for approximately 32% of the total area of cultivated land [5, 6]. Due to irrational irrigation, the increase in the groundwater level and phreatic water evaporation intensify the occurrence of secondary salinization of Journal of Sensors soil [8]. It is urgent that saline-alkali land be managed appropriately to ensure the sustainable development of land resources. We must achieve agricultural water savings to promote the healthy development of the ecological environment
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
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 call
