Effect of nano-fertilizer (lithovit) and potassium on growth, fruiting and yield of Egyptian cotton under different planting dates

Abstract

Two field experiments were conducted on a clay soil at El-Gemmeiza Agricultural Research Station, (Latitude: 30.79, Longitude: 31.12 Altitude: 5), El-Gharbia Governorate, Egypt in 2014 and 2015 seasons, to study the effect of nano-fertilizer (Lithovit) rates (0, 2.5, 5 and 7.5 g/l) and foliar potassium fertilizer (in the form of Potasin-P) rates (2.5, 5 and 7.5 cm3/l) under three planting dates (8 April, 8 May and 8 June) as well as their interactions on cotton growth, earliness traits, seed cotton yield and its components of the Egyptian cotton cultivar Giza 86.Cotton plants were foliar sprayed with Lithovit and Potasin-P at 45 and 60; 46 and 61 days after planting, respectively. A strip split plot design with four replicates was used in both seasons. The important results could be summarized as follow: At the first sampling date, the greatest values of leaf area per plant and leaf area index were obtained from the third planting date in both seasons. At the second sampling date in the second season, the highest values of leaf area per plant and leaf area index were obtained from the first planting date. At the third sampling date, the highest values of leaf area per plant and leaf area index were obtained from the second planting date in the first season and from the first planting date in the second season. Total dry weight per plant significantly responded to planting dates at the three sampling dates in both seasons. At the first sampling date, the third planting date (8 June) resulted in the highest values of total dry weight/plant in both seasons. Planting dates had a pronounced effect on boll setting percentage, boll shedding percentage and 1 st picking percentage over the two seasons of study. Early planting date on 8 April significantly increased boll setting percentage and 1 st picking percentage and significantly dccreased shedding percentage as compared with the medium planting date on 8 May and the late planting date on 8 June in both seasons. Plant height reached its maximum for the third planting date (8 June) followed by the second date (8 May) and the least resulted from early planting in the first date (8 April), while number of fruiting branches/plant reached its maximum for the first planting date (8 April) followed by the second planting date (8 May) and the least resulted from late planting (8 June). Time of planting exhibited significant differences in boll weight, number of bolls/plant, seed cotton yield / plant and seed cotton yield per feddan in both seasons, where the heaviest bolls resulted from the first planting date. Delaying planting date significantly reduced number of bolls/plant and seed cotton yield / plant. Also, delaying planting date decreased seriously the seed cotton yield per feddan in both seasons. Foliar spray of Potasin-P at the rate of 5 cm 3 /l twice at 45 and 60 days after planting resulted in the highest leaf area/plant and leaf area index at the three sampling dates in the first season. In the second season, foliar spray of Potasin-P at the rate of 7.5 cm 3 /l re...