Effect of magnesium, zinc, iron and boron application on yield and quality of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum)
Year: 2010
Type: article
Abstract: An experiment was carried out during 2003 and 2004 to study the effect of standard fertilizers for secondary and micronutrients, viz Mg, Zn, Fe and B on growth, yield and quality of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in South zone. Pooled data for 2 years indicated that specific fibre quality parameters, such as ginning per cent and uniformity ratio were significantly enhanced by micronutrient fertilization. Soil applied with FeSO4 @ 50 kg/ha registered highest ginning percentage of 39.2% and uniformity ratio of 50.2 relative to control values of 36.3% and 47.5, respectively. Fibre length was also significantly improved by soil application of borax @ 5 kg/ha. Besides quality, foliar sprays of MgSO4 @ 0.5% at 60, 75 and 90 days after planting and soil applied borax @ 5 kg/ha also raised the seed cotton yield by more than 18% (1 630 and 1 640 kg/ha, respectively) in comparison to control (1 380 kg/ha). Other quality traits, viz seed index, fibre strength, micronaire and fibre elongation and fibre quality index were not influenced by the application of micronutrient fertilizers.
Language: English
Subfield: Soil Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7223185036