Effect of Cotton Growth and Development On Nutrient Status During Growing Season.

Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

Cotton production is critical to meeting world demands as it uses more cotton than any other fiber to be manufacture in our linens, denim jeans, cotton t-shirts and more (1).  To obtain maximum yields, nutrient requirements need to be satisfied by supplying the cotton plant with the correct amount.  Sources indicate that 20 different chemical elements are essential for cotton development and balancing those nutrients at specific levels may allow for optimum growth (2).  This experiment examines nutrient content in the soil over a 10 week period.  The cotton was grown on 38” rows with two soil tests performed weekly. Each week a sample was taken “in row” directly next to the cotton plants and literally within the row of planting and root zone.  A second sample every week was taken “between row” of any two rows of cotton.  For each sample, ten cores were taken at marked locations which were repeated during the course of the study.  Each of the ten cores were mixed together and a representative sample was prepared and tested at the University of Arkansas analyzing levels of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfur, Iron, Zinc, Manganese, Copper and Boron.  Elements Nitrogen, Magnesium and Calcium showed correlations of lower concentrations of their respective element “in row” rather than “between row.”  Other elements including Potassium, Iron and Manganese showed little correlation, while the remaining elements had a mixture of both.