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EFFECT OF POTASSIUM FERTILIZATION ON POTENTIAL FRUITING POSITIONS IN FIELD GROWN COTTON

M. I. MAKHDUM*, M ASHRAF** AND H. PERVEZ*

Abstract: A field experiment was conducted to assess the effectiveness of fruiting positions along sympodia under varying levels and sources of potassium fertilizer on field grown cotton under an arid environment. The treatments consisted of four rates of potassium (0, 62.5, 125.0, 250.0 kg K ha^-1) and two sources of potassium (K₂SO₄ and KCl). Cotton cultivar CIM-1100 (Gossypium hirsutum L.) was used as test crop. Plant mapping data showed that total number of fruiting positions, number of intact fruit on sympodia / monopodial and percent of bolls per position on sympodia differed greatly due to different doses of potassium fertilizer. The percentage of fruit retention was markedly improved due to increasing doses of K-fertilizer compared to K-unfertilized treatment. The percent survival of harvestable bolls for the five first positions along sympodia at the end of season was 30, 25, 18, 13 and 8, respectively. Potassium fertilization stimulated cotton crop in lengthening sympodial branches and retaining more fruit on the three first positions and also at the bottom of plant during early reproductive phase. The fruiting pattern was 2 to 3 and 6 to 7 days vertical and horizontal fruiting interval, respectively.
 

Department of Chemistry, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan.
Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.
Corresponding Author: M.I. Makhdum, Central Cotton Research Institute, Multan-60500,
FAX: 61-9200342, Email: ccri@mul.paknet.com.pk