Temperature‐Emergence Relations of Cottonseed under Natural Diurnal Fluctuation

Abstract

AbstractUnder field conditions, 103 hours of seed level temperature above 18 C were required for initial emergence of the cotton variety ‘Blightmaster.’ Unfavorable soil moisture, soil texture, and variations in planting depth could affect the emergence index. It should not be significantly affected by regimes with extreme temperatures or by varieties, except cold tolerant types. The minimum soil temperature for producing emergence of cotton seedlings averaged approximately 18 C for the temperature regimes of the study. High correlations exist between initial emergence time and minimum soil temperature or average mean air temperature during the same period. This suggests the possibility of predicting cotton emergence if air or seed level temperatures can be reliably forecast.