Growth, development and fiber production of annual cotton under flooding condition

Abstract

Annual cotton is known to be a susceptible plant to oxygen deficit in the soil. The objective of this work was to investigate and evaluate the effects of oxygen shortage on the growth, development and fiber production of this malvaceus plant in greenhouse conditions. The results showed that, independently of the cotton cultivar, CNPA Precoce 1 (early - maturing cultivar) or CNPA 3H (later-one), soil drenching for a period of 120 hours (flower - bud stage) reduced the leaf area (30%) and the biomass yield (36%) in relation to the control (not flooded plants). This treatment reduced also the seed fiber yields by 38 and 41%, respectively. When the oxygen deficit occurred in the flowering stage, the leaf area was not affected; there were, instead, increases in the plant height (22%) and in the final biomass yield (28%). Under these conditions, no seed or fiber yield reductions were observed.