What are the precautions for fertilizing cotton? A summary of the latest key points
Cotton is one of the main raw materials for our country's textile industry, and its planting area is very extensive in our country. Although cotton is not an edible food crop, its planting status in our country is also among the top. The management of cotton planting is very important. Among these, fertilization is an essential task in management work, and fertilizing cotton is not as simple as it seems. Today, the editor will talk with everyone about the precautions for fertilizing cotton. Let's take a look below!
1. Fertilization period
Although cotton is a relatively fertilizer-loving crop, it still depends on the growth stage of the cotton. The time when cotton has the highest fertilizer demand is from the vigorous growth period to the stage when vegetative and reproductive growth proceed together. Since it is the vigorous growth period, the nutrient demand is very large. In normal planting time, this period is roughly from June to August each year.
2. Application plots
When fertilizing cotton, it should also be determined according to the specific conditions of the plot. If the plot's soil is fertile and has comprehensive nutrients, then fertilization is not needed. When the cotton field suffers waterlogging, the base fertilizer is seriously lost, the plot becomes deficient in fertilizer, root development is hindered, and the cotton plants grow weakly, then fertilization should be carried out in time. Or if the plants are observed to have obvious nutrient deficiency symptoms, plots seriously harmed by pests and diseases are also main plots for fertilization.
3. Fertilization time
When fertilizing, do not choose a time with high temperature and humidity. When fertilizing on cloudy days, wait until all the dew on the plants has dried before fertilizing, because dew will take away part of the fertilizer and affect the fertilizer's effect. When fertilizing on sunny days, avoid noon when the temperature is highest and the sunlight is strongest, to prevent the sun's intensity from being too strong, causing leaf scorch, and the evaporation rate of the fertilizer will also accelerate. Especially when applying foliar fertilizer, be sure to pay attention to changes in the weather. If it rains after fertilization, wait until the rain stops and the water dries, then apply it once more.
4. Application concentration
The concentration of fertilizer must absolutely not be too high. We should prepare different fertilizers and concentrations according to the planting variety. If the concentration is too high, it will cause root burn and leaf scorch, and the absorption and transport of nutrients by the cotton roots will be seriously hindered. The photosynthesis of the leaves will also decline, and the accumulation of photosynthetic substances will decrease, which is not conducive to cotton boll expansion and reduces its quality. Therefore, when fertilizing, the concentration ratio must be well controlled. When the concentration is too high, dilution work should be done well to reduce the concentration.
5. Fertilization methods
There are many fertilizers for cotton fertilization, such as foliar fertilizer, base fertilizer, and fruit-promoting fertilizer, and their fertilization methods are also different. For example, when applying foliar fertilizer, choose tender leaves as the fertilization target and apply it on the back of the leaves. It is best to use drip irrigation, because tender leaves are very fragile, and too much movement during fertilization will cause damage to the tender leaves. When fertilizing, spray thoroughly and evenly, and foliar fertilizer cannot be left for too long, so spraying foliar fertilizer is generally prepared as it is sprayed to ensure the effect of the foliar fertilizer.
The above are the precautions for fertilizing cotton. Fertilization is a management task with particular knowledge. Do not think that casually spraying some pesticide in the cotton field is enough. As cotton grows, its fertilizer and nutrient requirements are also different, so when we fertilize, we should reasonably prepare the nutrient components in the fertilizer according to the growth progress of cotton, so that cotton growth has sufficient and comprehensive nutrition