EFFECT OF SOME NUTRIENTS ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF COTTON UNDER SALINE CONDITION

Abstract

Two pot experiments were carried out at the greenhouse of the Cotton Research Institute, Agric. Res. Cent., Giza, Egypt during 2015 and 2016 seasons to study the response of cotton plant to application of some nutrients under salinity condition to improve the performance of cotton plants and increase growth, yield and yield components and fiber quality of Giza 90 cotton cultivar. The experimental design was a split-plot with four replications. Main plots included salinity levels (control, 2000, 4000, 6000, 8000 ppm), while sub plot included four nutrient applications Potassium Humate (Potassium humate 85% + Potassium 8% + Fulvic Acid 3%) 5 cm/ litre, Algex (Alges species + 10 % Potassium) 3cm/litre, Poly Ethylene Glycol (PEG) 6000 (C2nH4n+On+1) 2% and Potassein (30% Potassium Oxide (K2O) +5% Superphosphate (P2O5)) 4cm/ litre compared with control (untreated plants). Normal agricultural practices were followed throughout the growing seasons. Samples were collected at random from each sub plot in order to study growth and yield traits. Irrigation with tap water until the first irrigation after sowing was used. Hence forward plants were irrigated with saline solutions of 2000, 4000, 6000 and 8000 ppm NaCl during the whole season, while untreated pots (control) were irrigated with tap water continuously. Characters under study: I– Vegetative growth characters:- The plant sample (4 plant from Two pots) was taken every time, sampling commenced 75 day after sowing and continued in 15 days intervals until 105 days from planting. Plant samples were carefully uprooted and separated into leaves, stems, recovered roots and fruiting parts (squares and young bolls), the different plant fractions were dried for 48 hours at 70 C, until it reached to a constant weight and study the following characters: