The Tom and Stephanie Show: Growth and Development of the Cotton Plant (Where the Money Is)

Thomas A. Kerby and Stephanie Johnson


 
ABSTRACT

These results are from repeated replicated trials in the San Joaquin Valley of California. There many factors which affect tire fruiting of cotton and as such impact earliness and yield. Results from two years indicate early season leaf area does not limit plant growth and yield. Loss of up to 50 percent of the leaves through the seventh node did not decrease final node number, plant height, leaf area, leaf weight, total dry weight, or yield. However, loss of 57 percent of the early leaves did delay maturity 2.4 days for the first harvest. Water stress results in early maturity, but decreased yields. Nitrogen deficiency resulted in decreased yields without any benefit of earliness. Use of Pix resulted in increased earliness and gave a yield increase when the season length was less than 2400 HU or when control plant height exceeded 45 inches at maturity. The clear inverse relationship between boll number and rate of vegetative growth demonstrates the need for early boll load to allow for the use of cultural practices which are not by themselves yield limiting. Growers should key on early retention of squares on first positions of fruiting, branches as they are the earliest bolls with the harshest fiber quality and they account for the majority of potential revenue. Seventy percent of the total bolls come from the first position square on the first seven fruiting branches. These positions are produced during the first three weeks of fruiting.



Reprinted from Proceedings of the 1988: Beltwide Cotton Production Conference pp. 15 - 18
©National Cotton Council, Memphis TN

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Document last modified Sunday, Dec 6 1998