What are the key points of cotton management methods in autumn?

The weather is gradually cooling down now, and we have officially entered autumn. Cotton management has also reached the final critical period. Many friends did very well in the early stages of management, but relaxed their management in the final stage, which led to unsatisfactory cotton yields. In fact, autumn management is very important, so how should cotton be managed during the autumn period? Below, the editor brings you the autumn cotton management techniques. Let's take a look!

1. Water management

Water is very important for the growth of cotton plants. If cotton lacks water, it will cause the cotton field to produce a large amount of ethylene gas, affecting the growth of the plants and causing a series of physiological phenomena such as premature aging. Therefore, in the water-deficient season of autumn, it is necessary to ensure sufficient water in the field. The soil moisture content must not be lower than 55%, but water should also not be too much, and water should not accumulate in the cotton field, as this affects root vitality. So we must both prevent drought and reasonably control and prevent waterlogging.

2. Intertillage and soil loosening

After watering the cotton field or after a rain, the soil becomes compacted, making ventilation and air permeability difficult and affecting root respiration. At this time, we should loosen the soil in time to break up the compacted areas and improve soil aeration. This can not only promote cotton root respiration and nutrient absorption, but also reduce the phenomenon of cotton lodging, ensuring plant growth and yield.

3. Foliar topdressing

In autumn, sunlight gradually decreases, and leaf photosynthesis also begins to decline. To increase nutrients, we can appropriately spray foliar fertilizer to promote the leaves' absorption capacity and increase the boll-setting rate. In addition, when cotton forms bolls, it consumes a huge amount of nutrients and needs a large amount of potassium fertilizer, so we should supplement nutrients in time to promote boll coverage on top. Foliar topdressing is mainly spraying foliar fertilizer, and it should be noted not to do it when the temperature is high.

4. Prevent excessive vegetative growth and late maturity

Excessive vegetative growth and late maturity is one of the problems that occurs in many grain crops. In order to increase yield and promote plant growth, many farmers continuously use excessive nitrogen fertilizer. Improper application timing and excessive amounts of nitrogen fertilizer will both cause excessive plant growth and late maturity, affecting the boll cracking time and reducing quality. However, this also depends on the variety. For late-maturing varieties, ripening agents can be appropriately sprayed.

5. Proper pruning

Pruning work is very important. After a year of growth, plants will naturally develop various old leaves, diseased branches, and so on. We should promptly remove aging leaves and branches that cannot bear fruit. Then remove the tips of the branches. If the planting density is too high, then after rain, adjacent plants should be controlled to form a “V” shape. This can ensure sunlight for all plants and also enhance the permeability of the cotton field.

6. Pest and disease control

Doing a good job in pest and disease control is essential, especially for the yellow-leaf wilt disease and cotton bollworm, which occur frequently in autumn. To control yellow-leaf wilt disease, potassium fertilizer and appropriate amounts of trace element fertilizers can be applied as topdressing. For pest control, strong pesticides such as trichlorfon can be sprayed. Be careful not to overdose, as overdose may also have a certain impact on the plants.

The above six points are the techniques for managing cotton in autumn, and they are also some of the things we need to do well in autumn. Only when all aspects are managed properly can the cotton yield be guaranteed. Attention should be paid to fertilizer application; it should not be one-sided or excessive, because incorrect fertilization methods will have a certain impact on plant growth. That is all for today's introduction. I hope everyone can successfully grow high-yield cotton.