Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Plant Protection Research Department, Fars Agricultural and Natural Resources and Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Darab, Iran.
2
2- Assistant Professor, Cotton Research Department, Fars Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Iran, Darab.
3
Director of Agricultural Jihad, Banaruyeh, Larestan county, Fars province, Iran.
4
Director of Agricultural Jihad, Khosouye, Zarin Dasht county, Fars province, Iran.
5
Director of Plant Protection Department in Agricultural Jihad, Darab county, Fars province, Iran.
10.22092/ijcr.2024.365192.1210
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Cotton is a valuable agricultural crop, often referred to as white gold due to its significant economic, agricultural, and commercial importance globally. Fars province ranks first in cotton production and cultivation area in Iran. A disorder causing leaf and boll drying in cotton began as a spot in some fields of Fars province in 2021 and rapidly spread to most of the cotton-growing areas in the province during 2022 and 2023. The main cause or causes of this problem have not yet been identified. Due to the high damage caused by this disorder in Fars province, this project was initiated and implemented.
Materials and Methods: According to the instructions of the Cotton Research Institute and the Fars Agricultural Jihad Organization, various treatments that reduce the effects of biotic and abiotic stresses on the cotton plant in the form of five independent agricultural experiments were used in the three counties of Fars province including Larestan (three experiments), Zarin Dasht (one experiment) and Darab (one experiment). The first experiment included the treatment of 1) Ammonium sulfate + Solupotash + Humic acid and 2) the control, the second experiment included the treatment of 1) zinc + Humic acid + Solupotash and 2) the control, the third experiment included the treatment of 1) Nordox, 2) Nordox + Solupotash + Humic acid and 3) the control, the fourth experiment included 1) Berdofix + Solupotash + Humic acid + micronutrient fertilizer + amino acid and 2) the control, and the fifth experiment included the treatment of 1) Amino acid + Daconil + Solupotash, 2) Daconil, 3) Solupotash + Humic acid and 4) the control. The treatments were used in two counties of Larestan and Zarin Dasht before the onset of symptoms (as a preventive measure) and in Darab county after symptoms appeared (as a control measure). Treatments were applied in 2023. The farms that were selected to carry out these projects had an area of at least 4 hectares and the area where each treatment was used was at least half a hectare. In each farm, there was also a control treatment (non-application of treatments). The effect of the treatments on the drying of leaves and bolls of cotton was investigated by random sampling in ten points of each treatment. In each point of each treatment, 20 cotton plants were examined for symptoms of leaf and boll drying, and the number and percentage of plants infected at that point were determined. By using T test, statistical comparison was made between the treatment and the control.
Results: In Larestan county, the application of treatments significantly reduced damage in three experiments: First experiment: Damage in the Ammonium sulfate + Solupotash + Humic acid treatment was 12.5%, 23.5% less than the control (36%).
Second experiment: Damage in the Zinc + Humic acid + Solupotash treatment was 3%, a 15% reduction compared to the control (18.5%).
Third experiment: Damage in the Nordox + Solupotash + Humic acid treatment was 7%, a 15% reduction compared to the control (22%).
In Zarin Dasht county, the fourth experiment showed a significant reduction in the percentage of infected cotton plants: Fourth experiment: Infection in the Bordofix + Solupotash + Humic acid + micronutrient fertilizer treatment was 3.5%, 27% less than the control (30.5%). In Darab county, the fifth experiment showed that:
Amino acid + Daconil + Solupotash treatment: Leaf and boll drying was 13.5%, significantly lower than the control (29%). The Daconil treatment (23.5%) and the Solupotash + Humic acid treatment (19.5%) were not significantly different from the control.
Conclusion: The results of this research suggest that using methods to reduce biotic and abiotic stresses can prevent or mitigate the severity of leaf and boll drying in cotton. Reducing irrigation stress, and timely application of Humic acid, Solupotash, Zinc, Micronutrients, Amino acid, sulfur, and fungicides are critical inputs recommended to prevent this disorder. These preventive measures are most effective before symptoms appear, but if symptoms do occur, prompt use of fungicides and other mentioned inputs is advised to control the problem.
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