How to Prevent Early Blight in Cotton? A Full Breakdown of Practical Measures
Cotton is closely tied to our daily lives and is a major field cash crop that drives our economy, with a wide planting area in China. However, problems are inevitable during cotton cultivation, and some of them affect the normal growth of cotton, with early blight being one of the common ones. So how should early blight in cotton be prevented? Let's find out together.
1. Choose waterlogging-resistant and disease-resistant varieties
When planting cotton, it is recommended to choose excellent varieties that are resistant to waterlogging and disease. This is the foundation for preventing and controlling early blight in cotton. Variety selection should suit local conditions: for early-stubble transplanting, choose varieties with a poorer growth period so that the peak boll stage avoids the heavy rain season. For transplanting after wheat and rapeseed, choose early-maturing varieties to avoid late maturity affecting yield.
2. Open ditches for drainage
Based on the occurrence of early blight across the country, wherever drainage work is done well, early blight occurs less severely. Especially in low-lying plots with a high groundwater table, ridge up the soil and dig ditches to ensure good drainage after rain, reduce the damage of early blight, and effectively improve yield and quality.
3. Delay root senescence
The root system of cotton is at its most vigorous from the squaring stage to the early flowering stage, and after boll setting the root system gradually weakens. Therefore, field management after the flowering stage should focus mainly on nourishing and protecting the roots, delaying root senescence and preventing early blight. After the flowering stage, deep intertillage is not advisable; fertilization should follow the principle of small amounts applied multiple times, and when topdressing, fertilizer should not be placed too close to the roots to avoid burning them with concentrated fertilizer -- deep placement in furrows is preferable. When cotton enters the peak boll-setting stage, 5-7.5 of topdressing fertilizer can be applied per mu to reduce the burden on the root system, and spraying foliar fertilizer once a week can compensate the plant for insufficient root absorption.
4. Remedial methods
After early blight occurs, corresponding remedial measures should be taken promptly according to the degree and cause of the occurrence. First, drainage should be carried out in time to reduce the impact of waterlogging damage. For mild waterlogging damage, dry the field in time, pull out dead plants, increase field aeration, and through field management help the surviving plants recover as quickly as possible. For wilting caused by fertilizer damage, reduce fertilizer promptly, lower the fertilizer concentration, and promote the plants' return to normal growth.
The above is an introduction to preventive measures for early blight in cotton. We hope it helps you. For more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.