Yehia, W., El-Hashash, E., Sherif, M., EL-Abassy, M. (2024). Improving the quality and productivity of cotton under a drip irrigation system in Toshka, Egypt. Egyptian Journal of Agricultural Research, 102(3), 448-463. doi: 10.21608/ejar.2024.288608.1543
Waleed M.B Yehia; Essam F. El-Hashash; Mohammad M.M. Sherif; Mostafa A.A. EL-Abassy. "Improving the quality and productivity of cotton under a drip irrigation system in Toshka, Egypt". Egyptian Journal of Agricultural Research, 102, 3, 2024, 448-463. doi: 10.21608/ejar.2024.288608.1543
Yehia, W., El-Hashash, E., Sherif, M., EL-Abassy, M. (2024). 'Improving the quality and productivity of cotton under a drip irrigation system in Toshka, Egypt', Egyptian Journal of Agricultural Research, 102(3), pp. 448-463. doi: 10.21608/ejar.2024.288608.1543
Yehia, W., El-Hashash, E., Sherif, M., EL-Abassy, M. Improving the quality and productivity of cotton under a drip irrigation system in Toshka, Egypt. Egyptian Journal of Agricultural Research, 2024; 102(3): 448-463. doi: 10.21608/ejar.2024.288608.1543
Improving the quality and productivity of cotton under a drip irrigation system in Toshka, Egypt
1Cotton Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Giza, Egypt
2Agronomy Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
3Water Studies and Research Complex (WSRC) Station, National Water Research Center, Toshka, Egypt
Abstract
Cotton is the most important natural textile fiber and cash crop in Egypt. Planting dates and planting distances are important determinants of achieving maximum cotton productivity and quality fiber. In the Toshka region conditions of Egypt, two field experiments during the 2021 and 2022 growing years were executed at the Water Studies and Research Complex (WSRC) station, National Water Research Center, Toshka, Egypt, to study the effects of three planting dates (25January, 25 February, and 25 March) and six planting distances (10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 cm among plants) with drip irrigation on the yield, yield components and fiber quality traits of the Egyptian cotton cultivar Giza 95. Growing years, planting dates, planting distances, and their first-order interactions had significant effects (P<0.05 or 0.01) on cotton yield, most of its component traits, and fiber quality properties. Cotton yield and all examined traits had low CV% values. The production and quality of cotton are greatly influenced by the year and climate. The Giza 95 variety under the February planting date with the lowest plant spacing showed the highest cotton yield and most traits under study, especially strength and length fiber. Across the planting dates, 3.55% and 5.09% more seed cotton yield was achieved under the February planting date than the March and January planting dates, respectively. When it comes to planting distances, 10 cm spacing outperformed 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 cm spacing by 1.09, 2.12, 3.76, 5.05, and 6.58%, respectively, in terms of seed cotton yield. Cotton yield significantly (P<0.05 or 0.01) correlated with some cotton traits under different planting dates and planting distances. The results of the three-way ANOVA, correlation coefficient, and PCA from our study could be useful and used for cotton productivity improvement under planting dates and planting distances. Based on these experiments, it is concluded that the 25 February planting date under 10 cm plant spacing is optimal for high cotton yield and the best fiber quality properties in sand soil at the Toshka region of Egypt.