A Complete Analysis of the Latest Cotton Planting Techniques and Methods

Cotton is one of the most important crops in the world. It is a crop with a long cultivation history that was introduced into our country, and it is currently widely planted in our country as well. Today's cotton is not only used in the textile industry, but can also be used to make beauty products and cut flower materials, and so on. Its value in use has been expanded, which has also raised cotton's economic value. So today, what I want to teach everyone is the method of planting cotton. Let's learn about it together.

1. Seed selection and land preparation

There are many varieties of cotton now, such as white cotton, colored cotton, yellow cotton, gray cotton, and so on. Different regions are suitable for planting different cotton varieties, so we need to choose local high-yield and high-quality varieties for planting according to the local planting environment. Next is the selection and preparation of the planting site. Cotton has relatively large water and fertilizer needs, so the soil of the planting site should be fertile, well-drained, loose in texture, and moderate in acidity and alkalinity. The land should be deeply plowed, impurities in the soil should be cleaned out, and after applying enough base fertilizer, the land should be turned over and leveled again. Before planting, the soil should be watered once to keep it moist, which is beneficial to the growth of the cotton root system.

2. Scientific planting

Cotton is generally planted by transplanting seedlings, which means we need to go through a period of raising seedlings, and when the seedlings have grown to a certain extent, they are transplanted into the field. When sowing, sow as early as possible, as this can avoid many pests and diseases. When sowing, we all use the drill sowing method, with the distance between each row at about 20 cm. Spread the seeds evenly into the furrow, then cover with soil to hide the seeds, water once, and it is best to cover the surface with a layer of straw or plastic film, which can play a role in keeping warm and moist, and is also beneficial to the emergence of cotton seedlings. But note that after the seeds emerge, the covering should be removed in time to avoid seedling burn.

The field management work for cotton is actually relatively complex, because compared with the planting management of other crops, the workload is relatively greater. In the early stage of cotton planting, we should ensure full stands of seedlings and prevent seedling-stage pests and diseases, and we should also carry out intertillage and weeding after each watering, rainfall, or field work to maintain soil permeability. In the middle stage of cotton growth, that is, during the bud stage of cotton, we need to carry out management work such as topdressing, watering, intertillage, and hilling. Topdressing is mainly to promote the growth of cotton plants and the uniformity of flower bud growth. It is necessary not only to apply fertilizer outside the roots but also to combine it with foliar fertilizer. Finally, there is the middle-to-late stage management of cotton growth, which we also call the boll-opening stage. This period can be said to be the key period for high yield and high quality of cotton. We need to do a good job in pruning and removing excess branches, chemical regulation, intertillage and weeding, as well as foliar topdressing and watering and drainage.

4. Pest and disease control

During the entire growth process of cotton, pests and diseases actually occur relatively frequently. For example, during the seedling stage, the most common pests and diseases include damping-off disease, anthracnose, cotton aphids, cutworms, and so on. We can use agents such as ethylicin, hymexazol, pirimicarb, and phoxim respectively for control. In the later stage, the most important thing is to prevent the harm of insect pests to cotton, mainly including mirids, aphids, cotton bollworms, and so on. We can use fipronil, high-concentration imidacloprid, and emamectin benzoate plus beta-cypermethrin to spray before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m.

Above, I have only briefly introduced the cotton planting and management techniques to everyone. If you want to learn more detailed cotton planting and management methods, remember to follow our wonderful follow-up content, or leave us a message directly for consultation.