MAXIMIZING YIELD ofMAXIMIZING YIELD ofHIGH QUALITY LINT and SEED

Nutrient Management Strategiesut e t a age e t St ateg es

Dan KriegCrop Physiologist (Retired)Crop Physiologist (Retired)

COTTON

1200

1000

1200

D e)

600

800

NT

YIEL

Dun

ds/a

cr

1619

22200

400LIN

(Pou

30 50 70 90

612

160 WATER SUPPLY(Inches)

(30-100 DAYS)

90NITROGEN SUPPLY(POUNDS/AC)

(30-100 DAYS)

LINT VALUELINT VALUE• Fiber Length - 95% Geneticg• Fiber Strength -95% Genetic• Micronaire – Fiber Diameter (Genetic);Micronaire Fiber Diameter (Genetic);

Fiber Maturity (Environmental)• Uniformity – Boll Location & Ginningy g• Color – Environmental• Trash – Leaf (Genetic & Environmental)Trash Leaf (Genetic & Environmental)

–Bark ( Environmental & Harvesting)

FIBER DEVELOPMENT00

UM 75

10

Length & Diameter Strength

F M

AXI

M50

g

CelluloseThickening

% O

F25

ThickeningMicronaire

0

0 10 20 30 40 50 DAYS0 160 320 480 640 800 HU

NODENUMBER

HEATUNITS

# OFFLOWERS

19 18251900

19

1700 22

1545167519751610 1725

167518001750

15 1500 15

1360 1495 1750

1425155018501485 1625 1900

154516751975

1300 91120 1245 1450

1180130515251240 1365 1600

130014501675

11

1000(FIRST FLOWER)

11000 1125

10601185

6

1

(FIRST FLOWER)

WEST TEXAS TEMPERATURES

100

80

90MAX T MIN T

60

70

ENH

EIT

.

MINIMUM TEMPERATURE FOR CELLULOSE CRYSTALLINITY

40

50

EES

FAH

RE

FLOWERING PERIOD

20

30

DEG

RE

FIBER ELONGATION PERIOD

0

10CELLULOSE DEPOSITION PERIOD

1-Ju

l

8-Ju

l

15-J

ul

22-J

ul

29-J

ul

5-A

ug

12-A

ug

19-A

ug

26-A

ug

2-Se

p

9-Se

p

16-S

ep

23-S

ep

30-S

ep

7-O

ct

14-O

ct

21-O

ct

28-O

ct

DAY of YEAR

BOLL LOCATION EFFECT 6.00

FP1 FP2 FP3 FP4

4 50

5.00

5.50

3 50

4.00

4.50

RE

2.50

3.00

3.50

MIC

RO

NA

IR

1.50

2.00

M

0.50

1.00

0.00

VEG 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

MAINSTEM NODE

MICRONAIRE PREMIUMS & DISCOUNTS

200

0

200

<2.4 2.5-2.6 2.7-2.9 3.0-3.2 3.3-3.4 3.5-3.6 3.7-4.2 4.3-4.9 5.0-5.2 >5.3

BASE

-200

600

-400

POIN

TS

-800

-600P

-1000

-1200

MICRONAIRE

Factors Affecting Seed DevelopmentNutrients - Particularly P

Function of PE t d t f• Energy storage and transfer

• Structural component of DNA, RNA, Phosphoproteins and Phospholipds

Crucial to formation of reproductive parts and seed development

• 50 60% of P at maturity is located in the seed• 50-60% of P at maturity is located in the seed

In calcareous soils, maintaining adequate amounts of P , g qin the plant available form is a problem

PROBLEM

• CALICHE• CALICHE– parent material of CaCO3 rock

C CO• FREE CaCO3– calcareous to the surface

• HIGH pH– above 7.5

• PHOSPHOROUS AVAILABILITY– formation of insoluble Ca-Pformation of insoluble Ca P

Can Cotton Seed and Fiber Yield andCan Cotton Seed and Fiber Yield and Quality Can Be Enhanced by

Multiple Applications of P DuringMultiple Applications of P During Fruiting?

Specifically:1. Evaluate P Application Method upon Yield

d Q liand Quality2. Determine Optimum N: P Ratio for Maximum

Yield and QualityYield and Quality

PHOSPHORUS APPLICATION METHOD1200 LSD = 53 5 kg

1000

LSD = 53.5 kg

800

kg/h

a) l

600

YIEL

D (k

200

400

LIN

T

0

200

Control Pre-plant Sidedress Fertigation

APPLICATION METHOD

PHOSPHORUS APPLICATION METHOD1.70

1.60

LSD = 0.05 g

1 40

1.50

LL (g

) l

1.30

1.40

PER

BO

L

1.20LIN

T

1 00

1.10

1.00Control Pre-plant Sidedress Fertigation

APPLICATION METHOD

NITROGEN:P2O5 RATIO1200

1000

1200 l

800

kg/h

a)

400

600

YIEL

D (k

200

400

LIN

T Y

5-0 5 12

35

0 WATER SUPPLY5-1 5-2 5-3N:P2O5 RATIOSUPPLY

NITROGEN:P2O5 RATIO1 80

1.70

1.80

1.50

1.60

LL (g

) l

1.30

1.40

PER

BO

L

1.20

1.30

LIN

T

5 0 12

35

1.00

1.10

WATER SUPPLY5-0 5-1 5-2 5-3

N:P2O5 RATIOSUPPLY

NITROGEN:P2O5 RATIO

4.5

5.0

4.0

IRE

3.5

ICR

ON

AI

2.5

3.0M

5 0 23

52.0

2.5

WATER SUPPLY5-0 5-1 5-2 5-3

2

N:P2O5 RATIO

SUPPLY

COTTONSEED QUALITYCOTTONSEED QUALITY

O 90% f th tt l t d i th US t d i T i V i tiOver 90% of the cotton planted in the US today is Transgenic Varieties

Over 50% of the cottonseed production for sale by commercial seed companies is produced on the Texas High Plains (350-450,000 acres & 200-p p g ( ,300,000 tons of fuzzy seed with an on-farm value of $40-60 Million)

Approximately 25-35% of the fuzzy seed is lost due to delinting (~7-8%) and immature seed (17 28%)and immature seed (17-28%)

One ton of fuzzy seed costs the seed company ~ $200.00 and results in 1200-1600 pounds of salable seed with a market value of $250/cwt ($500-750 Million) and a technology value of $300-450/cwt (~ 1.0 Billion)

Improving cottonseed quality has both economic value and agronomic valuevalue.

HIGH QUALITY PLANTING SEED

SEED PRODUCER PERSPECTIVE• Reduce acres and risk• Increase salable seed per ton of

purchased seed• Provide better product

COTTON PRODUCER PERSPECTIVE• Major input cost• Reduced seeding rates• Importance of rapid, uniform emergence of

seedlings

SEED YIELD

a1600

bb

ab

1400

1500

s/ac

re)

b

1300

1400

D (P

ou

nd

s

1200

ED

YIE

LD

1000

1100SE

Control Pre-plant Sidedress Fertigation

Application Method

EFFECT OF N:P RATIO ON SEED YIELD

1700

18005-0 5-1 5-2 5-3

1400

1500

1600

AC

RE

)

1200

1300

1400

(PO

UN

DS

/A

1000

1100

ED

YIE

LD

700

800

900

SE

E

70033% PET 50%PET 90% PET

WATER SUPPLY

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES of SEED RELATED to VIABILITY and

SEEDLING VIGORSEEDLING VIGOR

SEED WEIGHTSEED WEIGHTGenetic componentGreatest influence on seedling growth under coldGreatest influence on seedling growth under cold

conditions SEED DENSITYSEED DENSITYMeasure of seed maturity Greatest influence on percent germination andGreatest influence on percent germination and

seedling growth across temperatures

SEED WEIGHT

9.30

9.35

9 15

9.20

9.25

00 s

eed)

9.05

9.10

9.15

ND

EX (g

/ 10

8 90

8.95

9.00

SEED

IN

8.85

8.90

Control Pre-plant Sidedress Fertigation

APPLICATIONMETHODAPPLICATION METHOD

N:P RATIO EFFECT ON SEED DENSITY

1.030

1.020

1.025

c)

l

1 010

1.015

ty (g

/ cc

1.005

1.010

ed D

ensi

0.995

1.000See

5-0 5-1 5-2 5-3

N : P Ratio

N:P RATIO EFFECT ON VIABILITY

0.85

0.90 7-Day Germination 4-Day Germination

0 75

0.80

rcen

tage

0.70

0.75

atio

n Pe

r

0.60

0.65

Ger

min

a

0 50

0.55War

m

0.505-0 5-1 5-2 5-3

N: P Ratio

N:P RATIO EFFECT ON VIGOR

0.84

0.86

> 5CM

0.80

0.82

ERCE

NTAG

E >

0.76

0.78

MINA

TION

PE

0.72

0.74

WARM

GER

M

0.68

0.70

5-0 5-1 5-2 5-3

N : P Ratio

N:P RATIO EFFECT ON VIGOR

0.80

0.85

TAG

E

10-Day Germination 7-Day Germination

0 70

0.75

N PE

RCEN

TA

0.65

0.70

RM

INAT

ION

0 55

0.60

CO

LD G

ER

0.50

0.55

5-0 5-1 5-2 5-3

N: P RATIO

SUMMARY

I. SEED & FIBER YIELDA A li ti M th d f PA. Application Method of P

1. Fertigation and Pre-plant applications produced the greatest quantity of seed & fiber

2. The increase in seed & fiber yield was attributed to an increase in the number of bolls m-2 & boll size

B. Effect of N: P ratio1. With low volumes of irrigation, ~ 0.1 day-1, the

addition of P did not affect seed & fiber yield2. Increased water supplies to ~0.2 and 0.3 in day-1 increased pp y

yield and indicated that the N:P ratio of 5-1 provided enough P to maximize seed & fiber production

SUMMARY

II. Seed & Fiber QualityA. Application Method of P

Both fiber quality (micronaire) and seed quality (seed index and seed density) were improved by pre-plant and y) p y p pfertigation applications of Phosphorus

B. Effect of N: P ratioIncreasing N:P ratio to 5 3 produced the highest fiber micronaireIncreasing N:P ratio to 5-3 produced the highest fiber micronaire and seed density; however the N:P ratio of 5:1 produced the highest percentage of viable and vigorous seedComparing seed density to viability and vigor implied that a seedComparing seed density to viability and vigor implied that a seed density near 1.02 g/cc produced the highest quality seed