What to Do About Cotton Nutrient Deficiency? Cause Analysis and Remedial Measures

Cotton is one of the world's major crops, and we cannot do without it in our daily lives. To grow cotton well, fertilizing is an important task. However, in the middle and late stages of cotton growth, nutrient deficiency can occur, leading to reduced cotton yields and affecting farmers' income. So what causes cotton nutrient deficiency? How should it be remedied? Let's take a look at the detailed introduction below.

1. Nutrient Requirements

The normal growth and development of cotton requires various elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron, zinc, copper, and manganese. According to research, for every 100 kg of cotton formed, 13.36 kg of pure nitrogen, 4.65 kg of phosphate fertilizer, and 13.35 kg of potassium fertilizer are consumed. Its demand increases continuously as it grows. At the seedling stage, nitrogen uptake accounts for 5%, phosphorus 3%, and potassium 2%; at the squaring stage, nitrogen uptake accounts for 11%, phosphorus 7%, and potassium 9%; at the flowering stage, nitrogen uptake accounts for 56%, phosphorus 24%, and potassium 36%; at the boll-opening stage, nitrogen uptake accounts for 23%, phosphorus 52%, and potassium 42%; when the cotton is pulled up, nitrogen uptake accounts for 5%, phosphorus 14%, and potassium 11%. From these data, it can be seen that the fertilizer demand throughout the entire growth period of cotton follows a pattern of low—high—low. When fertilizing, attention should also be paid to the demand for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers at each growth stage, and fertilization should be done reasonably.

2. Causes of Nutrient Deficiency

There are two main causes of cotton nutrient deficiency. The first is that the base fertilizer applied in the early stage is lost relatively seriously, while in the later stage there is more rain and the rainy period is too long, making fertilization inconvenient and topdressing untimely, resulting in nutrient deficiency. The other is unreasonable fertilization and incorrect fertilization methods. Sometimes farmers directly broadcast fertilizer on the soil surface when fertilizing, causing relatively serious fertilizer loss, which leads to nutrient deficiency.

3. Remedial Measures

For plants that have already suffered nutrient deficiency, remedial measures should be taken to prevent the symptoms from worsening. The most effective method is foliar topdressing, which can quickly supplement the nutrients needed for plant growth and prompt the plants to return to normal. Fertilizers that can be applied include a 1%-2% urea solution, a 0.2%-0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution, or a plant growth promoter spray. Spray 2-3 times reasonably according to the growth condition of the cotton, which can effectively alleviate the symptoms of cotton nutrient deficiency.

The above is an introduction to the causes of and remedial measures for cotton nutrient deficiency. We hope it can help you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.