What are the causes of and remedies for cotton nutrient deficiency?

Cotton is one of the world's major crops, and we cannot do without it in our daily lives. To grow cotton well, fertilisation is an important task. However, in the middle and late stages of cotton growth, nutrient deficiency can occur, leading to reduced cotton yields and affecting farmers' income. So what causes cotton nutrient deficiency? How should it be remedied? Let's take a look at the detailed introduction below.

1. Nutrient requirements

The normal growth and development of cotton requires a variety of elements including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron, zinc, copper and manganese. According to research, for every 100 kg of cotton produced, 13.36 kg of pure nitrogen, 4.65 kg of phosphate fertiliser and 13.35 kg of potassium fertiliser are consumed. Its demand increases continuously as it grows. At the seedling stage, nitrogen uptake accounts for 5%, phosphorus 3% and potassium 2%; at the squaring stage, nitrogen uptake accounts for 11%, phosphorus 7% and potassium 9%; at the flowering stage, nitrogen uptake accounts for 56%, phosphorus 24% and potassium 36%; at the boll-opening stage, nitrogen uptake accounts for 23%, phosphorus 52% and potassium 42%; when the cotton plant is pulled up, nitrogen uptake accounts for 5%, phosphorus 14% and potassium 11%. From these figures it can be seen that the fertiliser requirement throughout the cotton growing period follows a pattern of small—large—small, and when fertilising, attention must also be paid to its demand for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium at each growth stage, so as to fertilise rationally.

2. Causes of nutrient deficiency

There are two main causes of cotton nutrient deficiency. The first is that the base fertiliser applied early on is lost fairly seriously, while later there is more rain and the rainy period is long, making fertilisation inconvenient and topdressing untimely, resulting in nutrient deficiency. The other is irrational fertilisation and incorrect fertilisation methods: sometimes farmers broadcast fertiliser directly onto the soil surface when fertilising, causing fairly serious fertiliser loss and therefore nutrient deficiency.

3. Remedies

Remedial measures should be taken for plants that have already suffered nutrient deficiency, so as to prevent the symptoms from worsening. The most effective method is foliar topdressing, which can quickly replenish the nutrients needed for plant growth and prompt the plants to return to normal. Fertilisers that can be applied include a 1%-2% urea solution and a 0.2%-0.3% monopotassium phosphate solution, or a plant growth promoter can also be sprayed. Spray 2-3 times appropriately according to the cotton's growth condition, and it can very well alleviate the symptoms of cotton nutrient deficiency.

The above is an introduction to the causes of and remedies for cotton nutrient deficiency. We hope it helps you. To learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.