Influence of node number and pruning height in herbaceous cotton

Abstract

In order to investigate the influence of node number correlated with pruning height in herbaceous cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cv. SU 0450-8909 productivity, number of fruiting branch/plant and vegetative branch/plant, a field trial was carried out during 1981, at Riacho dos Cavalos, PB, Brazil. A loamy-sandy soil with low content of assimilable phosphorus and medium calcium + magnesium and potassium was used. From planting to harvesting the total rainfall (389 mm) was concentrated In March (291,5 mm). The experimental design was a randomized complete block with seven treatments and six replications. The treatments were: plants pruned with two, three, four, five, six and seven nodes, and no pruning (1st year crop). The results' showed that no difference was found among treatments involving number of nodes per plant. The medium productivity of pruned treatments was 858 kg/ha, while no pruned plants (1st year crop) produced 31 kg/ha of fiber. It was observed that when a larger number of nodes per plant was allowed to develop, the number of differentiated cotyledonous nodes was reduced.