Water use efficiency of some cotton cultivars under field conditions and assesment of related physiological parameters

This study was conducted with two irrigation treatments (well irrigated and deficit irrigated) and 10 different cotton cultivars which have similar vegetation durations in experimental cite of Ege University at 2014/2015 growing periods. Two irrigation treatments were performed and differences in plant height, total dry weight, seed cotton yields, lint yields, boll number per plant, lint percentage, SPAD values, canopy temperature depression (CTD), proline accumulation, transpiration based water use efficiency (WUETr) and agronomic water use efficiency (WUEAgr) were evaluated. Deficit irrigation treatment caused a reduction on all yield parameters and MAY P 06 was featured cultivar in terms of total dry weight, second picking lint yield, lint percentage and SPAD values. With performing deficit irrigation, SPAD values and proline accumulation were increased, but KSD values were decreased. Among the cultivars, there were no significant differences in WUETr due to alteration of transpirations were similar to total dry weight in comparison to WUEAgr. Cv. FLASH had maximum agronomic water use efficiency (WUEAgr) and it can be useable in breeding programs. In addition, micro-lysimeter method has been well established in field conditions and evaporation in a single plot was successfully estimated.