Hubei: Current Cotton Growth Status and Field Management Recommendations

According to the survey results of August 5, most cotton fields in our city have currently entered the flowering and boll-setting stage. The average density of cotton fields in our city is 1266 plants/mu. The average plant height is 90.2 cm, the number of fruit branch layers is 15.8, the number of empty branches is 0.1, the total number of fruit nodes is 51.1, with 5.1 large bolls, 2.3 small bolls, 1.4 flowers, 31.6 buds, and 11 abscised buds and bolls, with a bud and boll abscission rate of 21.6%.

In view of the current situation, field management should currently focus on the following points:

1. Focus on per-unit yield, grasp the "two striving"

This year's cotton growth is weaker than the same period, and in order to achieve a relatively high per-unit yield level, it is necessary to grasp the two striving, namely striving early and striving for more autumn bolls. The basic goal is "2, 3, 4, 5": 2 means 20 fruit branches per plant; 3 means 2-3 bolls per fruit branch layer; 4 means more than 40 bolls per plant; 5 means a seed cotton yield of more than 500 jin per mu. 2. Highlight key points, grasp the "three rushing"

The focus of field management should be reflected in grasping the three rushing (namely rushing to cultivate, rushing to fertilize, and rushing to prevent and control).

1. Rush to cultivate. At this stage, intertillage and loosening of the soil should be carried out promptly, and ridges should be formed and the base of the plants earthed up. When the field is dry and the soil is workable, loosen the soil and break the crust in a timely manner, lower the temperature and improve aeration, promote root development, and improve the cotton's ability to resist drought, lodging, and waterlogging in the later stage.

2. Rush to fertilize. At present, heavy application of flowering and boll fertilizer must be carried out. For all fields that have not yet applied flowering fertilizer, flowering and boll fertilizer must be applied immediately and heavily. Apply by hole application or deep furrow application, with 30-40 jin of urea plus 15-20 jin of potassium chloride per mu. At the same time, supplementary boll fertilizer should also be applied well. Use sufficient fertilizer to make up for the loss of nutrients in the early stage and the nutrient needs for increasing autumn bolls in the later stage. Particular attention should be paid to the application of potassium fertilizer to prevent premature decline and senescence of cotton fields, generally applying 10-20 jin of urea plus 10-15 jin of potassium chloride per mu.

3. Rush to prevent and control. Cotton diseases and insect pests should be well controlled. The main cotton insect pests are cotton bollworm, cotton aphid, red spider mite, and mirid bug; the main cotton diseases are cotton Fusarium wilt and Verticillium wilt. On the basis of doing a good job in using frequency-vibration insect-killing lamps to trap moths, according to the control thresholds for each pest and in accordance with the requirements of "Xiantao Plant Protection," select the right pesticides and carry out timely control to ensure healthy cotton growth.

3. Break conventions, four "postponements"

First, postpone the topping time. At present, due to the increased amount of fertilizer applied to cotton, leaf branches are growing vigorously and superfluous buds are increasing. It is necessary to promptly remove superfluous buds and remove empty branches and old leaves. At the same time, for the 1-2 leaf branches retained on the lower part, when four fruit branches have grown, the side tips should be topped early, which can both reduce unnecessary nutrient consumption and improve ventilation and light transmission conditions. This year, the cotton topping time can be postponed to August 10-15. Second, postpone the time for supplementary boll fertilizer. This year, the time for applying supplementary boll fertilizer to cotton can be postponed to August 15-25. Third, postpone the termination time of disease and pest control and effectively strengthen the guarantee work for disease and pest control. Fourth, postpone the time for pulling up cotton stalks. Implement small-scale tillage and small-scale planting, and relay sow or relay transplant @#@245@#@ and rapeseed in cotton fields, so as to strive as much as possible for autumn bolls to grow large and full of lint and to open normally.