PJB-2019-975
EFFECT OF PLANT POPULATION, FOLIAGE FED BORON AND MEPIQUAT CHLORIDE APPLICATION ON YIELD AND PHENOLOGY OF COTTON
Ali Zohaib
Abstract
Concomitant increase in earliness and yield of cotton is crucial for improving productivity of cotton-wheat cropping system. This two years field study was conducted to investigate the effect of different plant populations (PP) (5.3 and 8.8 plants m-2), boron (B) nutrition (0.06 and 0.12 M B) and single application of mepiquat chloride (MC) (squaring and flowering stages) on plant architecture, phenology and earliness in relation to yield of cotton. The internodes length of cotton plants was increased by increasing PP and B nutrition while decreased by MC application. However, nodes above white flower (NAWF) and nodes above cracked boll (NACB) were decreased by increasing PP, B nutrition and MC application indicating earlier cutout. Likewise, higher PP, B nutrition and MC application at squaring stage decreased the calendar days as well as thermal time required for flowering and boll opening. However, boll maturation period was not affected by B and MC application while decreased at higher PP. Earliness index, production rate index and seed cotton yield was most effectively enhanced at higher PP, 0.12 M B nutrition and MC application at squaring stage. In conclusion, increase in PP, B nutrition and MC application at squaring stage enhanced the earliness and seed cotton yield by altering plant architecture and calendar as well as thermal time requirement for different phenophases of cotton.
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