What are the precautions for fertilizing cotton? Keep these points in mind

As one of China's main raw materials for the textile industry, cotton is grown across a very wide area in China. Although cotton is not an edible food crop, its status in China's agriculture is second to none, and the management of cotton cultivation is extremely important. Fertilization is an essential part of that management work, and fertilizing cotton is not as simple as it sounds. Today, let's talk about the precautions for fertilizing cotton. Let's take a look below!

1. Fertilization period

Although cotton is a crop that responds well to fertilizer, the amount applied must be determined by the cotton's growth stage. Cotton's demand for fertilizer is highest during the vigorous growth period through the stage when vegetative and reproductive growth occur together. As mentioned, this is the vigorous growth period, so nutrient demand is very high. Based on normal planting schedules, this period falls roughly from June to August each year.

2. Application plots

When fertilizing cotton, you must also consider the specific conditions of the plot. If the soil is fertile and contains comprehensive nutrients, fertilization is not necessary. When cotton fields suffer waterlogging, and the base fertilizer is severely leached and the plot becomes nutrient-deficient, root development is impeded and cotton plants grow weakly, so timely fertilization is required. Alternatively, plots where plants show obvious nutrient deficiency symptoms or suffer severe pest and disease damage are also key plots for fertilization.

3. Fertilization time

Do not fertilize when temperature and humidity are high. On cloudy days, wait until all dew on the plants has dried before fertilizing, because dew will carry away part of the fertilizer and reduce its effectiveness. On sunny days, avoid fertilizing at noon when temperatures are highest and sunlight is strongest, to prevent leaf scorch from excessive sunlight intensity, which also speeds up fertilizer evaporation. Especially when applying foliar fertilizer, pay close attention to weather changes. If it rains after fertilization, wait until the rain stops and the water dries, then apply once more.

4. Application concentration

Fertilizer concentration must never be too high. We need to prepare different fertilizers and concentrations according to the planted variety. If the concentration is too high, it will cause root burn and leaf scorch, and the absorption and transport of nutrients by cotton roots will be severely impeded. Leaf photosynthesis will also decline, and the accumulation of photosynthetic substances will decrease, which is unfavorable for boll expansion and reduces quality. Therefore, when fertilizing, you must control the concentration ratio well. When the concentration is too high, do the dilution work to lower the concentration.

5. Fertilization methods

Cotton fertilization involves many types of fertilizer, such as foliar fertilizer, base fertilizer and fruit-promoting fertilizer, and their application methods all differ. For example, when applying foliar fertilizer, choose tender leaves as the target and apply it to the underside of the leaves. It is best to use drip irrigation, because tender leaves are very fragile and too much movement during application will injure them. When fertilizing, spray evenly and thoroughly, and foliar fertilizer cannot be left standing too long, so foliar fertilizer is generally mixed right before spraying to ensure its effectiveness.

The above are the precautions for fertilizing cotton. Fertilization is a management task with its own rules. Do not think you can just spray some pesticide randomly in the cotton field. As cotton grows, its demand for fertilizer nutrients changes, so when we fertilize, we should follow the cotton's growth progress. Reasonably configure the nutrient composition in the fertilizer so that cotton growth has sufficient and comprehensive nutrition