The three main causes of cotton diseases: climate, seeds and cultivation

Friends who grow cotton often run into this situation: the seeds were sown, yet the seedlings come up sparse and patchy, and some even rot in the seed or sprout. In fact, the occurrence of cotton diseases is no accident - poor-quality seeds, a low-temperature and high-humidity environment, and rough sowing methods are all important factors that trigger disease. Below, these causes are explained clearly.

1. Climatic conditions: low temperature and high humidity are the main cause

The various pathogens that cause cotton diseases multiply very quickly under high humidity, while low temperatures are precisely what hinders the growth and development of cotton's young roots. Squeezed from both sides, the cotton seedlings are in danger. This is especially true for cotton fields sown a bit early: when they hit cold spring weather with overcast rain, the young roots grow slowly while the pathogens infect frequently, easily causing seed rot and sprout rot. So cotton fields sown early need extra attention when a late spring cold snap hits.

2. Seed quality: good or bad directly decides emergence

Seeds are the foundation. If the seeds have low maturity, or got damp and moldy during storage, they easily rot or their sprouts rot after sowing. Such seeds not only emerge poorly, but even if they do emerge, most of the seedlings are weak, with poor resistance, and are prone to infection. So when selecting seeds, keep a firm grip on quality - only plump, mature seeds can be relied on.

3. Cultivation practices: rough management means severe disease

Problems in cultivation management are also an important reason for the high incidence of cotton diseases, mainly in four aspects:

First, the problem of continuous cropping. In continuously cropped cotton fields, pathogens accumulate in large numbers, making disease more likely than in wheat fields under intercropping or rotation, and the longer the continuous cropping goes on, the more severe the disease. Second, plot conditions. In cotton fields that are low-lying and poorly drained, soil humidity is high, ground temperature is low and aeration is poor, so the cotton seedling root system develops poorly and disease comes easily. Third, the quality of land preparation and sowing. Rough land preparation or tillage, with many clods, or covering the seed with too much soil at sowing, all affect the normal emergence of cotton seedlings, making disease more severe. Fourth, sowing time. Sowing too early means the cotton seedlings emerge slowly and stay in the soil a long time, which also makes disease more likely.

Overall, cotton diseases result from the combined effect of three factors: climate, seeds and cultivation. Once these causes are understood clearly, paying more attention to seed selection, land preparation and sowing can greatly reduce the occurrence of seed rot and sprout rot, laying a good foundation for uniform, strong seedlings.