How should cotton be managed well in the middle and late stages?
How should cotton be managed well in the middle and late stages? Please introduce the management methods. In the middle and late stages, cotton can be managed by referring to the following methods: 1. Management during the flowering and boll-setting stage (1) Apply flowering and boll-setting fertilizer heavily and apply topping fertilizer. Cotton generally flowers around July 10. Fertilization during the flowering and boll-setting stage generally accounts for 50% of the topdressing amount during the growth period and can be appropriately advanced, applying as soon as flowers appear (July 10-15). On the basis of sufficient basal fertilizer or base fertilizer applied earlier, apply 40-45 kg per mu of compound fertilizer containing 15% each of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, or 15-20 kg of urea, 15-20 kg of diammonium phosphate, and 10-15 kg of potassium chloride, or apply a formula fertilizer with the same content of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. In cotton fields where flowering and boll-setting fertilizer is insufficient or there is a trend of fertilizer deficiency during the full flowering and boll-setting stage, applying topping fertilizer is beneficial for retaining summer bolls, increasing autumn bolls, and preventing premature senescence. In early August, apply 10-15 kg of urea as topdressing, no later than mid-August. In high-yield cotton fields, after the full boll stage, the root absorption capacity declines. In cotton fields with a trend of fertilizer deficiency, spray 300-500 times dilution (or 0.3-0.5 jin per mu) of potassium dihydrogen phosphate, or 15 ml of Lüzhi Feng (Shuofeng 481), or 10 ml of Duoxiao Fengchan Ling, and other plant growth regulators or foliar fertilizers, mixed with 30 kg of water, and spray 1-2 times. This has an obvious effect on increasing boll weight. (2) Irrigate in drought and drain in waterlogging. During the flowering and boll-setting stage, cotton is sensitive to water and is neither tolerant of drought nor waterlogging. Therefore, it is necessary to promptly meet the large water consumption demand of cotton fields. In high-yield cotton fields, as long as there is no rain for 7-10 days, irrigation should be carried out promptly. In general cotton fields, if the top leaves of the cotton plants show wilting at noon, they should be watered. When rainfall is heavy, drainage should be carried out promptly. (3) Intertillage and hilling. Before the cotton field closes in the early flowering stage, intertillage and hilling should be combined. This is beneficial for irrigation during drought and drainage during waterlogging in the full flowering and boll-setting period and helps prevent lodging in the later stage of high-yield fields. (4) Pruning. Top the plants early at the appropriate time, generally from July 15-20, and finish before July 25. Tip the side branches around August 10, no later than August 15. For row spacing above 1.1 m, retaining one vegetative branch (smooth shoot) during pruning gives the highest yield.

How should cotton be managed well in the middle and late stages? Please introduce the management methods.
In the middle and late stages, cotton can be managed by referring to the following methods:
1. Management during the flowering and boll-setting stage (1) Apply flowering and boll-setting fertilizer heavily and apply topping fertilizer. Cotton generally flowers around July 10. Fertilization during the flowering and boll-setting stage generally accounts for 50% of the topdressing amount during the growth period and can be appropriately advanced, applying as soon as flowers appear (July 10-15). On the basis of sufficient basal fertilizer or base fertilizer applied earlier, apply 40-45 kg per mu of compound fertilizer containing 15% each of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, or 15-20 kg of urea, 15-20 kg of diammonium phosphate, and 10-15 kg of potassium chloride, or apply a formula fertilizer with the same content of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. In cotton fields where flowering and boll-setting fertilizer is insufficient or there is a trend of fertilizer deficiency during the full flowering and boll-setting stage, applying topping fertilizer is beneficial for retaining summer bolls, increasing autumn bolls, and preventing premature senescence. In early August, apply 10-15 kg of urea as topdressing, no later than mid-August. In high-yield cotton fields, after the full boll stage, the root absorption capacity declines. In cotton fields with a trend of fertilizer deficiency, spray 300-500 times dilution (or 0.3-0.5 jin per mu) of potassium dihydrogen phosphate, or 15 ml of Lüzhi Feng (Shuofeng 481), or 10 ml of Duoxiao Fengchan Ling, and other plant growth regulators or foliar fertilizers, mixed with 30 kg of water, and spray 1-2 times. This has an obvious effect on increasing boll weight. (2) Irrigate in drought and drain in waterlogging. During the flowering and boll-setting stage, cotton is sensitive to water and is neither tolerant of drought nor waterlogging. Therefore, it is necessary to promptly meet the large water consumption demand of cotton fields. In high-yield cotton fields, as long as there is no rain for 7-10 days, irrigation should be carried out promptly. In general cotton fields, if the top leaves of the cotton plants show wilting at noon, they should be watered. When rainfall is heavy, drainage should be carried out promptly. (3) Intertillage and hilling. Before the cotton field closes in the early flowering stage, intertillage and hilling should be combined. This is beneficial for irrigation during drought and drainage during waterlogging in the full flowering and boll-setting period and helps prevent lodging in the later stage of high-yield fields. (4) Pruning. Top the plants early at the appropriate time, generally from July 15-20, and finish before July 25. Tip the side branches around August 10, no later than August 15. For row spacing above 1.1 m, retaining one vegetative branch (smooth shoot) during pruning gives the highest yield.
2. Sequential chemical regulation. This is mainly used in vigorously growing cotton fields and requires small amounts applied multiple times, with regulation as the main approach and combining regulation with control. Spray during the bud stage, early flowering stage, and full flowering stage. During the bud stage, use 2-4 ml per mu of mepiquat chloride (or 0.5-1 g of chlormequat) plus 10-15 kg of water; during the early flowering stage, use 6-10 ml per mu of mepiquat chloride (or 1.5-2.5 g of chlormequat) mixed with 15-25 kg of water; during the full flowering stage, use 8-12 ml per mu of mepiquat chloride (or 2-3 g of chlormequat) plus 40 kg of water, and spray evenly. According to the cotton seedling condition, growth vigor, cotton field fertility, rainfall, and other conditions, the dosage and frequency of mepiquat chloride and chlormequat can be flexibly controlled. For concentration, "rather low than high"; "apply to fertile fields, not poor ones; to waterlogged fields, not dry ones; to irrigated fields, not dry ones."
3. Pest control. There are many kinds of cotton pests. During the cotton bud and boll stage, the main ones are summer cotton aphids, cotton bollworms, cotton mirids, and tobacco whiteflies.
1. Cotton aphid. Summer cotton aphids generally increase in reproduction from early July to early and mid-August. Use 1 part of 40% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate and 5-6 parts water to prepare a slow-release agent, and apply it with a cotton ball or brush at the red-green junction of the cotton seedling stem. It can also be applied as a 100-fold solution of 40% omethoate dropped into the cotton heart leaves, 2-3 drops for small seedlings and 3-4 drops for large seedlings. Alternatively, spray with a 1000-fold solution of 40% omethoate, or a 2000-fold solution of 3.6% Shaya Luohan (imidacloprid, beta-cypermethrin), or a 1500-fold solution of 10% imidacloprid wettable powder.
2. Cotton bollworm. At present, most cotton varieties planted in production are transgenic insect-resistant hybrid cotton. Generally, no chemical control is needed for the second generation of cotton bollworm, and the third generation is controlled 1-2 times depending on the severity of occurrence. Late July to early August is the peak egg-laying period. Spray for control using 25-45 ml per mu of 4.5% cyhalothrin emulsifiable concentrate mixed with 40 kg of water, or a 2000-3000-fold solution of 35% Shachong Ke (phoxim, methomyl), or a 1200-1500-fold solution of 12% Eling Like (cyfluthrin, methomyl), and other pesticides. Third-generation eggs are mostly laid on the side tips, so concentrate the spray on the group tip leaves and young buds and "spray thoroughly on all sides." When using the above pesticides, attention should be paid to also controlling summer cotton aphids and other bud and boll stage pests. Alternate the use of various pesticides.
3. Cotton mirid. It generally migrates into cotton fields in mid-to-late June, and the damage is most severe during the full bud stage of cotton. In addition to controlling cotton aphids and cotton bollworms at the same time, a 1500-2000-fold solution of 4.5% Jujiao (beta-cypermethrin) can also be sprayed.
4. Tobacco whitefly. In recent years, with climate change, the damage caused by tobacco whitefly has worsened. Adults begin laying eggs at 14.5°C. At temperatures of 21-33°C, egg-laying increases as the temperature rises. For early application, when tobacco whiteflies occur sporadically, spray a 1500-fold solution of 20% buprofezin wettable powder or a 1500-fold solution of 10% imidacloprid wettable powder, once every about 10 days, for 2-3 consecutive treatments. Apply 50-75 g per mu of 25% Supuling mixed with 30-40 kg of water and spray.
Click to get more cotton planting techniques
Click to get more grain crop planting techniques