When Is the Cotton Planting Time? A Detailed Guide to the Best Sowing Period
Cotton is the seed fiber of plants in the Gossypium genus of the Malvaceae family. Its place of origin is the subtropics. It was first introduced to our country for cultivation at the end of the 19th century, and it has already been widely cultivated in all cotton-producing regions nationwide, and has replaced tree cotton and herbaceous cotton. At present, the countries with the highest cotton yields in the world are China, the United States, India, Brazil, Mexico and other places. Now let us take a look together at when the cotton planting time is!
Cotton Planting Time
Due to differences in weather and climate from region to region, the cotton planting time also differs. Generally speaking, the cotton planting time is around April each year. In fact, starting from the third month of spring, farmers begin to buy cotton seeds to plant cotton, but because cotton is not planted directly the way beans are, at this time they are all cultivating cotton seedlings, so the true planting time for cotton should be late March to early April.
Cotton Planting Conditions
1. Light: Cotton is a light-loving crop and is suitable for growing under relatively sufficient light conditions. Both its light compensation point and light saturation point are high. According to measurements, the light compensation point of a single cotton leaf is 750-1000 lux, and the light saturation point is 70,000-80,000 lux. Under normal circumstances, the suitable range of light intensity for cotton leaves is 8,000-70,000 lux, and within this range the photosynthetic intensity increases as light intensity increases.
2. Water: Cotton growth requires absorbing water from the soil, and the physiological water requirements differ at each growth stage. From sowing to emergence, the water content of the 0-20 cm soil layer should preferably be 70-80% of field capacity; at the seedling stage, the water content of the 0-40 cm soil layer should preferably be 60-70% of field capacity; at the early bud stage, the water content of the 0-60 cm soil layer should preferably be 65-75% of field capacity; after the full bud stage, the water content of the 0-80 cm soil layer should preferably be 70-80% of field capacity and must not fall below 60-65%; at the boll-opening stage, the relative soil water content should preferably remain at 55-70%. According to relevant research, about 2/3 of the water in a cotton field during the entire growth period is consumed by transpiration, and 1/3 is consumed by soil evaporation.
3. Soil: Cotton growth and development require water and nutrients, which are mainly obtained from the soil through the root system. The needed temperature and air are partly obtained from the soil, and at the same time soil mechanical support is needed for growth. The quality of the physical, chemical and biological properties of cotton field soil largely restricts the yield and quality of cotton. Soil moisture, nutrients, temperature, air, salt and alkali content, texture and so on all have a great impact on cotton growth.
Cotton Seedling Raising Techniques
1. Plastic film frame seedling raising: Most ecological cotton regions across the country adopt the plastic film frame seedling raising method. The main practice is, after sowing and covering with soil, to put up arched frames and cover them with film, sealing all around tightly, and after full emergence, ventilate to lower the temperature.
2. Nutrient block seedling raising: Nutrient block seedling raising is also called square seedling raising or block seedling raising. Different places use different names because of the different measures adopted, for example, using river mud, pond mud and the like as bed soil for square seedling raising is called river mud square seedling raising.
3. Flat-laid plastic film seedling raising: Flat-laid plastic film seedling raising saves labor and cost, simplifies management procedures, and has simple operating techniques that are easy for people to master. The film is laid directly on the seedbed, and when the cotton sprouts push through the soil, the film is broken to release the seedlings. The plastic film used is only 18% of the thickness of commonly used agricultural film. In regions with much rainy weather during the seedling stage, disease seedlings and dead seedlings are relatively serious when using this seedling raising method, so in production the seedling raising period should be appropriately delayed, and it can be applied in cotton fields transplanted from late stubble.
4. Double-film seedling raising: Double-film seedling raising is a seedling raising method in which, after sowing and covering with soil, a layer of plastic film is first laid flat and then an arched shed is added on top. It solves the problem that after sowing in early spring, rainy and low-temperature weather easily causes stiff seedlings and diseased seedlings, and the cotton seedlings raised are of good quality and the squaring stage comes earlier.
5. Ventilated mesh film seedling raising: Ventilated mesh film seedling raising is a method in which conventional plastic film is cut open along the center line, a 10-15 cm wide nylon window screen is sewn into the middle, and it is covered over the frame. Temperature and humidity are naturally regulated through the open part of the ventilated mesh, with no need to uncover by day and cover by night.
When Is the Best Time to Plant Cotton? Cotton Planting Time and Methods
Cotton is an annual herbaceous plant in the Gossypium genus of the Malvaceae family and is one of the world's most important crops. Cotton has the characteristics of large yield and low production cost. It is both a fiber crop and an important oil crop, and can truly be called “valuable in every part”. So, when is the best time to plant cotton? How should it be planted? The cotton planting time and methods are introduced below.
Image: Cotton planting
I. Cotton Planting Time
Due to differences in weather and climate from region to region, the cotton planting time also differs. Generally speaking, the cotton planting time is around April each year. In fact, starting from the third month of spring, farmers begin to buy cotton seeds to plant cotton, but because cotton is not planted directly the way beans are, at this time they are all cultivating cotton seedlings, so the true planting time for cotton should be late March to early April.
Image: Cotton planting
II. Cotton Planting Methods
1. Pre-sowing preparation:When buying good-quality cotton seed, it is advocated to change seed every year. Never be greedy for cheapness and use second- or third-generation cotton seed, because self-saved seed reduces yield by about 10% each year. Use about 1.5 kg of seed per mu. Sun the seed before sowing, with cumulative sunning time of no less than 30 hours, and keep turning it. Be careful not to spread it out to dry directly on concrete ground, brick ground or metal sheets. Before sowing, soil moisture must be built up and preserved in good time, so as to achieve sowing with sufficient soil moisture.
2. Fertilizing and sowing:Generally, apply 3-4 cubic meters of high-quality farmyard manure, 10 kg of urea, 20 kg of diammonium phosphate, 20 kg of potassium sulfate compound fertilizer per mu, plus 2 kg of micro-element fertilizers such as boron, zinc, manganese and iron. Sowing too early will cause incomplete emergence due to low temperature, worsen seedling stage diseases, and lead to premature senescence later. Sowing too late easily causes excessive vegetative growth, bolls set higher up, missing the best boll stage, and is not conducive to high yield. The best sowing period is around April 20. The sowing depth is about 3 cm. According to soil moisture, generally keep it no deeper than one cun and no shallower than exposing the seed; where moisture is good and the soil is rather clayey, it can be slightly shallower, and where moisture is poor and the soil is sandy, it can be slightly deeper.
3. Reasonable close planting:Sandy soil and poor-fertility land should be appropriately densely planted, while clay land and good-fertility land should be appropriately sparsely planted. The recommended practice is wide-narrow row planting, with wide rows about 1 m, narrow rows 55 cm, and plant spacing about 40 cm. Use a tractor for plastic film mulched planting. At present, quite a number of cotton farmers leave too many seedlings at the seedling stage, so cotton closes its rows early, ventilation and light transmission are poor, leading to reduced photosynthesis, serious shedding of squares and bolls, worsened cotton diseases and pests, increased ineffective branches, inconvenience for field operations, lower cotton yield and quality, and affected income.
Image: Cotton planting
4. Topdressing and watering:At the seedling stage, generally no watering is needed. At the flowering and boll stage, topdress 20 kg of urea per mu. At the early flowering stage, if drought generally lasts about 15 days and the leaves slightly wilt at noon, water promptly. Even if it rains, if the rain does not soak through, watering is still needed. Finally, after cotton bolls open, if drought occurs, water once as well. This can improve root vitality, delay cotton senescence, increase boll weight, and raise yield by about 10%.
5. Chemical regulation and topping:Scientific use of mepiquat chloride and chlormequat is a key measure for building a good high-yield framework and obtaining high yield. Chemical regulation starts at the squaring stage. At 6-8 leaves, use 0.5 g of mepiquat chloride per mu; at the early flowering stage, use 1.5 g per mu; after topping, use 3 g per mu. Grasp the principle of “light first and heavy later, small amounts multiple times”. For topping, grasp “when the time comes, do not wait for branches; when branches come, look at growth vigor”. Generally, cotton fields complete this on July 15-20.
6. Disease and pest control:At the seedling stage, Tianda 2116 plus hymexazol plus imidacloprid can be selected to prevent disease and control pests. Thereafter, add carbendazim solution for sterilization with each pesticide spraying. Pesticides such as phoxim, malathion, cypermethrin and abamectin can be used alternately to control cotton bollworm, mirids, red spiders and so on. While spraying, alternately add potassium dihydrogen phosphate, urea, micro-element fertilizers and so on.
[Editor's Concluding Remarks]Cotton is a light-loving crop and is suitable for growing under relatively sufficient light conditions, so special attention is needed during the planting process. The above has introduced the cotton planting time and methods for everyone, and we hope it can help everyone!
When Is Cotton Planted? Little-Known Facts About Cotton Planting
Cotton Planting Time
Under normal circumstances, cotton is suitable for planting around April-May.
Little-Known Facts About Cotton Planting
(1) Plot selection: Cotton is a temperature-loving and light-loving crop. Liaoning belongs to the extra-early-maturing cotton region and is the province with the highest latitude among the country's cotton regions. Cold, cool northern regions are all unsuitable for planting cotton. Cotton has a well-developed root system, with roots reaching more than 2 m deep. Therefore, cotton fields should be selected as flat land or sunny sloping land with deep soil layers and medium or higher fertility. Heavy clay soil, shaded slopes and waterlogged, cold, poorly drained land are not suitable for planting cotton. As the farming proverb says: “Cotton seedlings are like fire; sandy loam is best.”
(2) Ridging: Cotton seed has a strong ability to push through the soil, and it must bring out two leaves as it emerges, so resistance is great. Moreover, increased cotton yield in Liaoning mainly depends on the plant itself, and a certain density must be ensured. Sowing to preserve full seedlings is the foundation of increased cotton yield. Therefore, cotton field preparation must be meticulous. Cotton seed absorbs water slowly for emergence; cotton seed itself is rich in fat and protein, material transformation is slow, emergence takes a long time, and water absorption is large (equivalent to the seed weight), so the cotton field must maintain sufficient moisture. Cotton field preparation is required to form ridges as early as possible; autumn ridging is best, and spring ridging should also be completed before the end of March, at the latest no later than April 5 (before Qingming). The soil should be finely prepared with no clods, loose on top and firm below, and soil moisture content no lower than 18%. Ridging and fertilizing should use no less than 3000 kg of farmyard manure.