A Study On The Optimal Agronomic Practices For Late Planted Egyptian Cotton:

Fouad Elsayed Radwan

Two field experiments were carried out and repeatedduring 1989 and 1990 seasons at Bahtim Agricultural ResearchStation. Agricultural Research. Center, located in KalubiaGovernorate in South Delta. The first experiment: aimed to investigate the effects of seeding rate, thinning date and their interaction on growth, yield and its components, earliness and fiber properties of the late planted cotton. The experiment included 12 treatments which were the combination of 3 seeding rates and 4 thinning dates. Seedingrates were 5,10 and 15 seeds per hill. These numbers indicatethe need of about 16.7. 33.3 and 50lc:g seed/fed. , respectively. Thinning dates were 20, 25, 30 and 35 days fromplanting.Planting date was 1st of May in the first season and25th of April in the second one. A split plot design was usedwith 4 replications. The main plots were devoted to number ofseeds per hill and sub-plots to thinning date. The sub-plotarea was 12.6m2 and cotton was planted on ridges 60em apartand seeds were placed in hills 20em apart. The second experiment: aimed to investigate the effects ofdistance between hills. nitrogen fertilization level andtheir interaction on growth, earliness and fiber properties ofincluded 16 treatments which were yield late and its components, planted cotton. It the combination of fourdistances between hills (15, 20. 25 and 30cm or 93333, 70000,56000 and 46666 plants/fed., respectively) and four nitrogenlevels (20, 40, 60 and 80kg N/fed.) A split plot design wasused with 4 replications. The main plots devoted to distancebetween hills and sub-plots to nitrogen levels. The sub-plotarea was 12.6m2. Ridges were 60cm apart and 4.2 m in length.The new cotton cultivar Giza 83 (Giza 67 X Giza 72 hybrid) was used in both experiments. Planting date was similar to that of the first experiment. The soil of the experiments was clay loam in texture with a pH value of 8.1 and has 0.85% organic matter content and 0.095% total nitrogen. The normal cultural practices for growing cotton were followed.