What are the reasons for low cotton yields? The latest analysis is here

In our lives we certainly cannot do without cotton; whether it is the quilts we sleep under or the clothes we wear, they all use cotton as a raw material. This shows the importance of cotton in our lives, so growing cotton has gradually become a way for many people to make a fortune. After growing it for a few years, however, you may find that cotton yields decline year after year. So why exactly is this? Today we bring you the reasons that lead to reduced cotton yields. Let's take a look!

1. Variety

Variety is the foundation that determines yield. Many growers now use insect-resistant cotton. Although insect-resistant cotton has strong pest control ability, high yield and early maturity, it has very high requirements for the surrounding environment. Generally, in the later stages of planting or after too long a planting period, premature aging is prone to occur. In addition, cotton is cross-pollinated, so it is difficult to ensure variety purity, which leads to variety degeneration and reduced yield.

2. Sowing

Sowing too early makes the seeds prone to low temperatures and frost damage, causing disease as soon as the seeds emerge. In addition, sowing too early causes the plants to enter the vegetative growth stage ahead of time, yet before vegetative growth they need a large amount of nutrients. Without enough nutrients, the plants suffer from malnutrition, the plants are overloaded, the pollination and fertilization rate declines, and yield decreases accordingly.

3. Continuous cropping

Continuous cropping is a problem many people encounter. The area now used for cotton planting is basically not small, and most of it is contracted land for planting, so implementing crop rotation is somewhat difficult. Generally, continuous cotton cropping for more than two years will cause nutrient deficiency in the soil, increase the number of pathogens and insect eggs, and gradually raise the incidence of disease. This creates very great obstacles to cotton growth and seriously reduces cotton yield.

4. Water

Water is as essential to cotton as it is to people. If there is continuous water shortage during growth, it will reduce cotton metabolism and weaken the stress resistance of the cotton roots. However, water should not be excessive either. In stormy weather, failure to drain in time will cause root breathing difficulty, reduce root vigor, increase pathogen breeding, trigger various pests and diseases, and lead to reduced yield.

5. Nutrition

Most growers apply only chemical fertilizers when fertilizing and do not apply organic fertilizer, resulting in insufficient organic matter in the soil, soil compaction, and not enough nutrients for the roots to absorb, which causes nutritional imbalance in the plants. In addition, some farmers blindly apply nitrogen fertilizer without applying potassium fertilizer, causing excessive vegetative growth. It may also be that foliar feeding is applied too late, causing premature aging of the plants and reduced yield.

6. Management

After sowing, a layer of plastic film is usually laid on the surface, but the film should be removed during the whole growth period. Although early growth is better and vigor is strong, the nutrients required also increase. The presence of the plastic film prevents fertilizer from entering the soil in time, causing nutrient deficiency and premature aging of the plants. Moreover, plastic film can remain in the field for decades, causing very serious obstacles to the development of the plant roots.

The above six are the main reasons for low cotton yields. Everyone should avoid continuous cropping. Continuous cropping not only has a great impact on plant yield, but may also very likely ruin that piece of land. So those who have the conditions should plant on different plots, and those who do not can plant some crops different from cotton on the plot. That is all for today's introduction. If you want to learn more related information, please continue to follow us!