Influences of plant density and pix (Mepiquat chloride) applications on cotton growth, yield and fiber quality

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of plant density and mepiquat chloride applications on cotton growth, yield and fiber quality. Pix applications (at rates of 25 cc and 75 cc da-1 at early square and first bloom, respectively) were evaluated for cotton grown at densities of 12500, 8300 ve 6250 plants da-1. . Vegetative and reproductive growth characteristics including dry weights of vegetative, reproductive, total, stem, leaf, and fruit, leaf area index (LAI) in addition to plant height, number of monopodial branches, number of sympodial branches, number of main stem nodes, number of bolls per plant were evaluated at 70 and 100 DAP (days after planting). The interaction term was found to be not significant for all traits studied. Plant density applications affected plant height, number of monopodial branches, number of sympodial branches, number of main stem nodes, number of node for first fruiting branch, fiber uniformity and fiber strength; while Pix applications had significant effect on plant height, number of monopodial branch, number of sympodial branch, seed cotton yield, boll weight and lint yield. Main effects of plant density and Pix applications on number of bolls per plant, weight of seed cotton per boll, lint percentage, fiber length, short fiber index, fiber elongation, fiber fineness (micronaire) and fiber color (reflectance and yellowness).