Effect of Foliar Application with Bentonite on Growth and Productivity of Egyptian Cotton | ||
| Journal of Plant Production | ||
| Article 10, Volume 8, Issue 10, October 2017, Pages 1029-1035 PDF (294.69 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/jpp.2017.41081 | ||
| Authors | ||
| A. E. El-Gabiery; Y. F. A. Ata Allah | ||
| Cotton Physiology Department, Cotton Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt. | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Two field experiments were carried out in El-Gemmeiza Agricultural Research Station Agricultural Research Center, El-Gharbiya Governorate in 2016 and 2017 seasons to study the effect of foliar application with bentonite (times of application and rates) on leaf chemical composition, plant growth, earliness traits, fiber quality and yield of Egyptian cotton (Gossypium barbadense L.), Giza 86 cultivar. A split-plot design with three replicates was used. The main plots included three intervals at (squaring stage and flowering initiation), at (flowering initiation and the top of flowering) and at (squaring stage, flowering initiation and the top of flowering). The sub plots involved four rates of bentonite; (control "without application", spraying with 2, 3 and 4 kg bentonite/fed). The important results could be summarized as follow: Times of foliar application with bentonite gave significant effect on nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, chlorophyll (a), (b), total chlorophyll and carotenoids concentrations in cotton leaves, in favor of foliar application with bentonite three times (at squaring stage, at flowering initiation and at the top of flowering). Leaves concentrations of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, chlorophyll (a), (b), total chlorophyll and carotenoids significantly increased with foliar application of 3kg bentonite /fed as compared with the other rates.The interaction between times of bentonite as foliar spraying and its rates had significant effect on chlorophyll (a), (b), total chlorophyll and carotenoids concentrations in cotton leaves, where foliar spraying with 3kg bentonite per fed three times (at squaring stage, at flowering initiation and at the top of flowering) produced the highest values of these traits. While, leaves N, P and K concentrations did not affect by this interaction. Times of application did not affect plant height and number of fruiting branches/ plant at harvest in both seasons. Bentonite at the rate of 2kg/fed significantly increased cotton growth parameters, i.e., plant height and number of fruiting branches/ plant at harvest as compared with the high rate of betonies(4kg/fed) in both seasons. The interaction significantly affected these two traits in the first season only, where the highest values of cotton growth parameters, i.e., plant height and number of fruiting branches/ plant were, generally, recorded with foliar application of bentonite at the rate of 2kg/fed three times(at squaring stage, at flowering initiation and at the top of flowering). However, the lowest values were recorded with foliar application of bentonite at the rate of 4kg/fed three times (at squaring stage, at flowering initiation and at the top of flowering).Times of foliar application with bentonite gave insignificant effect on earliness traits (numbers of total flowers and total bolls / plant, boll setting % and boll shedding %) in both seasons.Bentonite at the rate of 2kg/fed and at the rate of 3kg/fed significantly increased earliness traits (numbers of total flowers and total bolls / plant and boll setting %) and significantly decreased boll shedding % without significant differences between them as compared with the high rate of bentonite (4kg/fed) and control in both seasons. The interaction between times of foliar application and rates of bentonite significantly affected earliness traits (number of total flowers/ plant, number of total bolls/plant and boll setting %) in both seasons, where the highest values of number of total flowers/ plant, number of total bolls/plant and boll setting % and the lowest value of the boll shedding % were, generally, recorded with foliar application of bentonite at the rate of 2kg/fed or at the rate of 3kg/fed two or three times as compared with foliar application of bentonite at the rate of 4kg/fed two or three times and control treatment. Foliar application with bentonitetwice(at squaring stage and at flowering initiation) or three times (at squaring stage, at flowering initiation and at the top of flowering)significantly increased yield parameters (boll weight, seed cotton yield/plant and seed cotton yield/fed) in both seasons as compared with foliar application with bentonitetwice (at flowering initiation and at the top of flowering).On the other hand, seed index and lint % did not affect by time of application in both seasons. Foliar application of 2 or 3 kg bentonite per fed significantly increased boll weight, number of open bolls/plant, seed index, seed cotton yield/plant and yield of seed cotton/fed as compared with the control and using 4kg bentonite /fed in the two seasons of study. The interaction between times of application and rates of bentonite as foliar application had a significant effect on boll weight, number of open bolls/plant, seed cotton yield/plant and seed cotton yield/fed in both seasons, in favor of foliar application of bentonite at the rate of 2kg/fed or at the rate of 3kg/fed two times (at squaring stage and at flowering initiation) or three times (at squaring stage, at flowering initiation and at the top of flowering). While, seed index and lint % did not affect by the interaction between times of application and rates of bentonite as foliar application in both seasons. The times of foliar application and rates of bentonite as well as their interactions had insignificant effect on Pressley index and micronaire reading in both seasons. Conclusion: it could be concluded that the best foliar application rate of bentonite was 3kg per fed two times ( at squaring stage and at flowering initiation) for a significant positive effect on chemical composition, growth, boll setting and yield of cotton Giza 86 cultivar, under the conditions of El-Gemmeiza location. | ||
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