/AnMtgsAbsts2009.54182 Stress Remediation with An Anti-Ethylene Compound in Cotton.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009: 3:45 PM
Convention Center, Room 333, Third Floor

Vladimir A. da Costa and J. Tom Cothren, Soil and Crop Science Dept., Texas A&M Univ., College Station, TX
Abstract:
Under stress, cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) plants synthesize higher levels of ethylene resulting in potential loss of fruit. 1-methlycyclopropene (1-MCP) is a gaseous competitive inhibitor of ethylene action blocking ethylene binding sites and preventing ethylene detrimental effects in plant tissues. The compound is believed to impact positively a variety of physiological effects, and is largely applied in a wide variety of horticultural crops to counter ethylene effects. This study had the objective to evaluate the consequences of 1-MCP treatment on cotton yield components in plants experiencing stress. Two field studies were conducted in 2007 and 2008 at the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station in Burleson County, Texas, as a randomized complete block design with four replications. Treatments were three rates of 1-MCP (0, 25, and 50 g a.i. ha-1) in combination with a surfactant at rates of 0 and 0.375% v v-1 applied 93 days after planting. On the following day, ethephon (ethylene synthetic hormone) was applied at 0 and 292 mL ha-1, as a source of stress.