Maximizing yield of high quality cottonseed through nutrient management strategies

Date

2000-05

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Texas Tech University

Abstract

One of the primary challenges confronting the cottonseed industry is being able to produce superior quality seed with the ability to emerge rapidly from the soil and establish normal healthy plants. Early emerging seedlings from high quality seed are the most competitive and establish the greatest yield potential. Generally, seed formed in the lower fruiting branches produce seed of higher quality than seed from the upper fruiting branches. Stripper cotton is unique to the High Plains of Texas; therefore the seed planted are produced on the Plains. The short growing season of the High Plains causes the seed from the upper canopy bolls to suffer from increased competition from other developing bolls, an aging canopy, and cooler temperatures during development.

Following the availability of an adequate water supply, growing season length and nutrient supply become the next major limiting factors to cotton production on the Texas High Plains. The prevailing temperatures provide marginal heat unit accumulation during the early and latter parts of the growing season. The cool temperatures in September and October limit the maturation of both the seed and fiber of bolls resulting from flowers in mid-August.

The nutrient supply, largely controlled by the producer, represents the final limitation to production of cotton on the High Plains. Nutrient management can affect rate of crop maturity as well as water use efficiency. More efficient nutrient management strategies, particularly N and P, are needed to maximize seed production as governed by water supply and heat unit accumulation. The soil conditions on the Southern High Plains result in very low quantities of soluble P available to the growing plants (high soil pH, >7.6, and high quantities of CaCOs).

Description

Citation