What to do about cotton bud and boll shedding? Scientific fertilization can reduce it

The incoordination between the vegetative growth (growth of roots, stems and leaves) and reproductive growth (growth of buds, bolls and lint) of cotton causes an imbalance in the supply, transport and distribution of photosynthetic products within the cotton plant, which is an important cause of cotton bud and boll shedding. Through comprehensive measures centered on fertilization, controlling cotton growth is an important means of reducing cotton bud and boll shedding. Practice has proved that controlling stem and leaf growth in the early stage of cotton, building a good high-yield framework in the middle stage so that it grows steadily, and preventing premature senescence in the late stage are effective ways to reduce shedding of middle and lower buds and bolls. Therefore, in addition to rational close planting and strengthened water management, scientific fertilization is the key. Generally, the rule is to observe the seedling condition and apply seedling fertilizer; in addition to nitrogen fertilizer, an appropriate amount of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer may also be applied as a top dressing as appropriate, to prevent excessive stem and leaf growth and avoid closing the rows too early, which helps the middle and lower parts set more bolls; apply bud fertilizer steadily, and it is advisable to use organic fertilizer so that nutrients are released gradually, controlling the cotton plant's steady growth, coordinating vegetative growth and reproductive growth, helping to capture light, and producing more organic nutrients to meet the needs of vegetative growth and reproductive growth; apply flower and boll fertilizer heavily to prevent premature senescence in the late stage. At this time the cotton plant has shifted from vegetative growth to reproductive growth, and most of the organic nutrients have been allocated to the reproductive organs, so a small amount of quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer should be applied.

In addition, certain plant hormones (such as chlormequat, etc.) also play an important role in regulating the direction of photosynthetic product transport. Because hormones can promote the transport of organic nutrients into developing young bolls, this is beneficial to young boll development and markedly reduces shedding.