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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Mississippi State, Mississippi » Crop Science Research Laboratory » Genetics and Sustainable Agriculture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #224443
Title: Effects of within-row plant spacings on growth, boll retention, and yield of four cotton cultivars

Author
item McCarty, Jack
item CASH, LIBERTY - TERRAL SEED
item Jenkins, Johnie

Submitted to: Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station Technical Bulletin
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/1/2010
Publication Date: 7/1/2011
Citation: McCarty Jr., J.C., Cash, L., Jenkins, J.N. 2011. Effects of within-row plant spacings on growth, boll retention, and yield of four cotton cultivars. Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station Bulletin 1191. 12 p.

Interpretive Summary: Within-row plant spacing for cotton production has gained importance due to the cost of seed with value added traits. The objectives of this study were to investigate plant growth, boll retention and yield of four cotton cultivars when grown in four within row plant spacings and two row patterns. Cotton cultivars DP555 BG/RR, SG215 BG/RR, DP444 BG/RR, and ST4892BR were grown at Mississippi State, MS during 2003 and 2004 in plots seeded in a plant 4-row, skip 2-row pattern having within-row plant spacings of 8, 15, 23, and 30 cm. The experimental design was a split plot with six replicates, with cultivars as the main plot and within row spacing as the split plot. Data were collected from both inside (solid row) and outside (skip row) rows from each plot. Plants were taller in the skip row than the solid row and the plants in the 8 cm spacing had fewer mainstem nodes in both row patterns. The number of bolls on monopodial branches increased with increased plant spacing in both the skip and solid row. Boll retention was higher on plants in the skip row than the solid row. There were no differences in yield between the within row plant spacings in the solid-row in 2003, but in the skip row, spacings greater than 8 cm showed significant reductions in yield. In 2004 yield was significantly affected by plant spacing in both row patterns. Plants at the 8 cm spacing tended to produce more yield in both the solid and skip row compared to the other plant spacings. Yield and plant growth can be affected by row patterns and plant spacing and therefore they should be considered at seeding date.

Technical Abstract: Plant spacing in cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., has gained importance due to the cost of seed with value added traits. The objectives of this study were to investigate growth, boll retention and yield of four cultivars when grown in four within row plant spacings and two row configurations. Cultivars DP555 BG/RR, SG215 BG/RR, DP444 BG/RR, and ST4892BR were grown at Mississippi State, MS, during 2003 and 2004 in plots seeded in a plant 4-row, skip 2-row configuration having within row plant spacings of 8, 15, 23, and 30 cm. The experimental design was a split plot with six replicates, with cultivars as the main factor and within row spacing as the split factor. Data were collected from both inside (solid row) and outside (skip row) rows from each plot. Plants were taller in the skip row than the solid row and the 8 cm spacing had fewer mainstem nodes in both row patterns. The number of bolls on monopodial branches increased with increased spacing in both the skip and solid row. Boll retention was higher in the skip row than the solid row. There were no differences in yield between the within row plant spacings in the solid-planted in 2003, but in the skip row, spacings greater than 8 cm showed significant reductions in yield. In 2004 yield was significantly affected by plant spacing with the 8 cm spacing tending to produce more yield in both the solid and skip row compared to the other plant spacings. Yield can be affected by row configuration and plant spacing and therefore they should be considered at seeding date.