Cotton cultivation technology

Cotton has many varieties and has high economic value. It has important applications in the textile industry, household products, medical supplies, beauty and personal care, industrial uses, arts and crafts , agriculture, etc. Let’s learn about cotton cultivation techniques .

1. Site selection considerations

Cotton likes warmth and sunshine, has a well-developed root system, and the root depth can reach more than 2 meters. The best cotton planting site should have a deep soil layer, good air permeability, convenient drainage and irrigation conditions, and sandy loam with above medium fertility.

2. Application of basal fertilizer

When fertilizing cotton, farmyard manure is the main method, which can be applied by tilling the soil before sowing. Usually 3000-4000 kg of high-quality farmyard manure and 30-80 kg of compound fertilizer are applied per mu, and 1-2 kg of zinc and boron fertilizers are applied as a supplement. If there is no farmyard manure, microbial fertilizer can be used. It can be applied during land preparation in spring and in combination with deep plowing and deep turning in autumn and winter.

3. Variety selection

Good quality varieties are the key to ensuring high yields. You can choose cotton varieties with a growing period of 110-135 days, strong resistance to yellowing and blight, high yield and high quality, such as the Xinlu Zao, Zhongmian and Lumianyan series of varieties approved in recent years.

4. Sowing at the right time

The best time to sow is when the local temperature is stable at 15 degrees and lasts for 5 days. It is best to sow in the morning on a sunny day. In northern Xinjiang, it is usually in mid-April, and no later than April 20th.

Strictly control the sowing amount, sow 1 seed in each hole, and cover the seeds with soil about 1 cm thick to ensure that the cotton seedlings are neat and strong. Water should be dripped in time within 24 hours after sowing, but the amount of dripping should not be too large. It is recommended to drip about 10 cubic meters per mu. If there is a late spring cold snap, low temperatures may cause seedling diseases.

Recommendation 1: On the basis of conventional pesticide coating treatment, use plant immune inducers and plant regulators such as Bacillus subtilis, amino oligosaccharides or brassinolide for seed treatment to promote root growth and improve the stress resistance of cotton seedlings.

Suggestion 2: Drip water in appropriate amount until the seeds are in contact with moisture. In case of late spring cold, heavy rain or low temperature, you can drip humic acid fertilizer in appropriate amounts.

5. Cultivate strong seedlings

After the cotton seedlings emerge from the soil and the cotyledons turn from yellow to green, check the seedlings and replant them in time on a sunny day. When encountering hot weather, it is necessary to check the seedlings in advance and assist in planting them to prevent high temperature burns. After the rain, the soil should be broken up in time to allow the cotton seedlings to emerge from the soil. Check the soil covering the seedlings. Given the frequent and strong winds in early spring in northern Xinjiang, cotton seedlings that are not well covered with soil should be sealed tightly with fine soil in time. Early and quick soil sealing helps the cotton seedlings mature early.

6. Water Management

Cotton requires a lot of water during its growth cycle. Delay the first watering and observe the weather, soil and seedling conditions. At around 12-13 o'clock, if the top 3-4 leaves of the cotton plant wilt, drip watering should be carried out. It is recommended that the first watering should not contain fertilizer, and the first watering should increase the amount of fertilizer, which is conducive to the cotton roots to take root and promote the steady growth of cotton seedlings in the later stage. In case of strong winds, the fallen cotton should be straightened out in time to facilitate its recovery.

7. Reasonable topdressing

Apply seedling fertilizer lightly, apply bud fertilizer steadily, apply flower and boll fertilizer heavily, and apply top fertilizer as a supplement. The flowering and boll-forming stage is the period when cotton requires the most fertilizer. Generally, 20-30 kg of compound fertilizer is applied per mu. For cotton fields with poor soil fertility, little base fertilizer and weak growth, it can be applied earlier. Topdressing should be done when the cotton plants have bloomed more than 80% and have 1-2 young fruits, preferably in the form of strip application. Supplementary application of top fertilizer can prevent cotton from premature aging due to fertilizer deficiency in the later stage, enhance its resistance to diseases, insects and premature aging, and strive to produce more autumn fruits and increase boll weight.

Foliar fertilization is generally carried out before and after topping. For nitrogen-deficient or prematurely aged cotton fields, apply 1-3 kg of urea per mu, once every 5-7 days, one water and one fertilizer. For cotton fields that are deficient in phosphorus and potassium or that grow vigorously and mature late, spray 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution once every 7-10 days, and spray 2-3 times in a row to achieve the goal of preventing yellowing leaves, falling leaves, premature aging, high yield and high quality in the later stage.

The above is an introduction to the key points of cotton cultivation technology. Cotton is widely used in my country, so its market prospects are still very good.