Impact of Plant Spacing and Nitrogen Rates on Growth Characteristics and Yield Attributes of Egyptian Cotton (Gossypium barbadense L.)

Abstract

This current study was performed to determine the influences of plant spacing, Nitrogen (N) fertilization rate and their effect, on growth traits, yield, and yield components of cotton (Gossypium barbadense L.) cv. Giza 97 during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. A split plot experiment in three replicates was utilized whereas the cotton seeds were planted at 20, 30, and 40 cm, as main plots and nitrogen at 75, 100, and 125%, was in subplots. The results revealed that the planting spacing at 40 cm significantly (p ≤ 0.01) increased plant height, number of fruiting branches per plant, number of bolls per plant, boll weight (BW), lint percentage (L%), seed cotton yield (SCY), lint cotton yield (LCY), seed index and lint index by 165.68 cm, 20.92, 23.93, 3.75 g, 42.01%, 4.24 ton/ha, 5.16 ton/ha, 12.05, 7.86, respectively, as average in both seasons. The application of N fertilizer rate at 125% caused a maximum increase in growth and yield parameters i.e., plant height (169.08 cm), number of vegetative branches (2.67), number of fruiting branches per plant (20.82), number bolls per fruiting branch (1.39), number of bolls per plant (23.73), boll weight (4.1 g), lint percent (41.9%), seed index (11.8 g), and lint index (8.2), while the plants treated with 100% N rates exhibited highest seed cotton yield (4.3 ton/ha) and lint cotton yield (5.6 ton/ha), as average in both seasons. Combining plant spacing at 40 cm between plants with a 100% N fertilizer rate recorded the highest lint cotton yield (5.67 ton/ha), while the highest seed cotton yield (4.43 and 4.50 ton/ha) was obtained from 125% N fertilizer rate under planting spacing 20 and 40 cm, respectively. Conclusively, a wide density (40 cm) with 125% N is a promising option for improved biomass, cotton growth, yield, physiological traits, and fiber quality.

Plant Spacing Effects on Stem Development and Secondary Growth in Nicotiana tabacum

“…It implied that plant spacing might affect the expression of NtHB8s and NtNST3s because of the availability of light and then affect the morphological structure and chemical content of the stem. Close planting will also lead to fewer nutrients absorbed by a single plant, which will affect the stem phenotype [25,53,54]. In this study, the major nutrient (nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium) deposition in plant stem and leaves also showed a high correlation with plant spacing.…”

The residual of ameliorant formulation from local resources on chemical properties of inceptisols and production of green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

“…N contributes to plant vegetative development via physiological and metabolic processes such as photosynthesis and nitrogen metabolism, and nitrogen deprivation impacts crop growth and production. Nutrients N and P boost the dry matter distribution ratio, photosynthetic product accumulation and transit, and production [22]. In general, residual organic matter provides more and better nutrition for plants at any given time.…”

Plant Spacing Effects on Stem Secondary Growth Dynamics in Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum)

“…Close planting will also lead to less nutrients absorbed by a single plant, which will affect the stem phenotype [25,42,43].…”