What causes low cotton yields?

We certainly cannot do without cotton in our daily lives; whether it is the quilts we sleep under or the clothes we wear, they all use cotton as a raw material. This shows how important cotton is in our lives, so growing cotton has gradually become a way for many people to make a fortune. But after growing it for a few years, you will find that cotton yields decline year after year. So why exactly is that? Today, the editor brings you the reasons for 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 if it is planted for too long, premature aging is likely to occur. In addition, cotton is cross-pollinated, so it is difficult to ensure the purity of the variety, which leads to variety degradation and reduced yield.

2. Sowing

Sowing too early makes the seeds prone to the effects of 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. However, vegetative growth requires a large amount of nutrients beforehand. Without enough nutrients, the plants suffer from nutrient deficiency, the plants are overloaded, the pollination and fertilization rate declines, and the 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 can be somewhat difficult. Generally, after cotton fields have been continuously cropped for more than two years, nutrient deficiency in the soil occurs, the number of pathogens and insect eggs also increases, and the incidence of disease gradually rises. This creates a very large obstacle to cotton growth and seriously reduces cotton yield.

4. Water

The role of water for cotton is just like its role for people: it is indispensable. 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. If drainage is not carried out in time during rainstorms, the roots will have difficulty breathing, root vitality will decrease, pathogen breeding will increase, various pests and diseases will be triggered, and yield will decline.

5. Nutrition

When fertilizing, most growers only apply chemical fertilizers and do not apply organic fertilizers, so the organic matter in the soil is insufficient, the soil becomes compacted, and there are not enough nutrients for the roots to absorb, resulting in nutrient imbalance in the plants. In addition, some farmers blindly apply nitrogen fertilizer and do not apply potassium fertilizer, causing excessive vegetative growth. It may also be that foliar fertilization 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 plastic film should be removed during the whole growth period. Although the early growth is better and the growth vigor is strong, the nutrients required also increase. The presence of the plastic film prevents fertilizer from entering the soil in time, causing the plants to suffer from fertilizer deficiency and premature aging. In addition, plastic film can remain in the field for decades, which will cause very serious obstacles to the development of the plant roots.

The above six points 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 ruin that piece of land. So if you have the conditions, plant on different plots; if you do not, you 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!