Effect of row spacing and irrigation on cotton lint yield and fiber properties

Authors: PINNAMANENI, SRINIVASA - Department Of Energy; Anapalli, Saseendran; Reddy, Krishna; Sui, Ruixiu; Fisher, Daniel; Bellaloui, Nacer; Boykin, Deborah

Submitted to: Mississippi Water Resources Research Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/7/2019
Publication Date: 4/2/2019
Citation: Pinnamaneni, S.R., Anapalli, S.S., Reddy, K.N., Sui, R., Fisher, D.K., Bellaloui, N., Boykin, D.L. 2019. Effect of row spacing and irrigation on cotton lint yield and fiber properties. Mississippi Water Resources Research Conference Proceedings. ..

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Twin-row planting and supplemental irrigation for corn and soybean has proliferated in the Mississippi Delta production systems during the last several years. While cotton is also widely grown as an irrigated crop in this region, knowledge of its production with twin-row planting under varied levels of irrigation is limited. The objective of this research was to determine how irrigation impacts cotton productivity and fiber quality in single and twin-row production systems. A field study was conducted in 2018 summer near Stoneville, MS following a split-plot design with irrigation as main unit and row spacing as subunit, replicated twice. Irrigation levels were full irrigation (FI), half irrigation (HI), and rainfed (RF). FI means all the rows were irrigated while HI indicates alternate row irrigation. Irrigations were scheduled based on soil moisture measurements. The cotton was planted on ridges spaced 102 cm apart and furrow irrigated. In the twin-row plantings, cotton was planted in two rows of 25 cm apart on a 102 cm center. Seeding rates were constant across all the treatments and replications; however, plant stand at harvest were 25% more (94,872 plants/ha twin-row vs. 75,385 plants/ha single-row) in twin-rows. Data on plant height and population, chlorophyll index, leaf area index, stomatal conductance, number of bolls per plant, and lint yield were collected. Cotton samples hand-picked from plots, ginned on a 10-saw gin stand, and analyzed by High Volume Instrument (HVI) and Advanced Fiber Information System (AFIS). No statistically significant lint yield differences were observed across irrigation treatments (1722 kg/ha Rainfed vs. 1803 kg/ha half irrigation vs.1673 kg/ha full irrigation), but twin rows recorded 12.5% higher lint yield compared to single-row plantings (1630.67 kg/ha single row vs. 1835.21 kg/ha twin row). Twin-row plant canopies produced a greater early season leaf area index that intercepted more sunlight than the single-row, but these differences diminished as the season progressed. No meaningful significant differences were found for HVI fiber properties (length, micronaire, strength, uniformity, reflectance, yellowness, or trash) or AFIS fiber properties (upper quartile length, short fiber content, nep count, fineness, immature fiber content, or maturity ratio) in comparing single or twin-rows in either rainfed or half irrigated or full irrigated treatments except for seed coat nep count and seed yield. These preliminary results indicate twin-row planting with alternate row irrigation could be a profitable production system because lint yield increased preserving fiber quality. A second-year study in 2019 summer is to be conducted to arrive at a specific recommendation for the cotton growers of MS Delta.