What are the latest key management techniques for cotton during the flowering and boll-setting stage?
Cotton is grown on a relatively large area in our country. When growing cotton, management work is very important. We need to appropriately adjust management methods according to the growth stage of cotton to ensure that cotton can grow normally at every growth stage. Among these, management during the flowering and boll-setting stage is especially important, as it directly affects the yield and quality of cotton. So how should cotton be managed during the flowering and boll-setting stage? Now let's take a look together with the editor!
1. Reasonable fertilization
During the flowering and boll-setting stage, the application of flowering and boll fertilizer is very important. If soil fertility is high, soil moisture is good, and the cotton plants are robust, then it can be applied together with chemical regulation work. Generally, applying 12 kg of urea and about 8 kg of potassium sulfate per mu is sufficient. If soil fertility and soil moisture are both relatively poor, then the flowering and boll fertilizer should be applied early and heavily. However, when applying flowering and boll fertilizer, we also need to control the fertilizer amount and timing according to the growth condition of the cotton plants. If the daily growth exceeds 3 cm, then not only should the application time of flowering and boll fertilizer be delayed, but the amount of nitrogen fertilizer should also be reduced. The fertilization method should mainly be hole application and band application, with good control of depth and position.
2. Timely watering
After cotton enters the flowering and boll-setting stage, its leaf area will reach the largest level of the entire growth period. And it is generally in the high-temperature season, so this is the time when water evaporates fastest. Cotton plants are very sensitive to water. If water is insufficient, it will hinder the metabolism of cotton, cause a large number of buds and bolls to drop, and make the premature aging phenomenon very likely to occur. Therefore, if drought occurs during the cotton flowering and boll-setting stage and there is no rain, watering should be done in time. This can not only meet the water needs of cotton plants, but also promote the decomposition of fertilizer and absorption by the roots, achieving the purpose of promoting aboveground growth and controlling belowground growth.
3. Intertillage and hilling
When pruning and pest control work is carried out in cotton fields, it may cause soil hardening. This reduces soil permeability and leads to premature root senescence. Therefore, before cotton rows close, we should promptly break up soil hardening and do a good job of intertillage and shallow hoeing. However, it should be noted that because the root regeneration ability of cotton is not strong during the flowering and boll-setting stage, the intertillage depth should not be too deep. Then during intertillage, it can be carried out together with hilling work. This can not only prevent plant lodging, but also improve permeability.
4. Pruning and topping
Pruning work is also indispensable during the cotton flowering and boll-setting stage, and this is also a main measure to improve the permeability of cotton fields and protect bolls. When pruning and topping, the main task is to remove one leaf and one bud. Removing side shoots can inhibit the top growth of fruit branches, avoid excessive lateral growth of cotton plants, and improve their permeability. This concentrates nutrients on the fruit branches and increases single boll weight. When removing side shoots, the number of fruit nodes retained on each fruit branch should be properly controlled according to actual conditions, usually kept at about 3. For the superfluous buds and rampant branches growing from the main stem and fruit branch leaves of the plant, they should be removed in time to avoid the cotton field becoming too closed and shaded.
The above is a brief introduction to how to manage cotton during the flowering and boll-setting stage. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and I hope it can help everyone!