The Effect of Application of Different Doses of Acid Mixture Seed Coating Method on Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) Yield and Fiber Technological Characteristics

This study was carried out to determine the effects of different rates of seed coating of an organic acid mixture (citric acid, glutamate, and proline) on the yield and technological characteristics of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Before seeding, cotton seeds were coated with an organic acid mixture product [0.75% citric acid, 0.25% glutamate, 0.25% proline, and 98.75 inert ingredients (water)], in six different doses (500, 1000, 1500, 2000, and 2500 cc) to compare with control (uncoated). Seed cotton yield, fiber yield, plant height, number of monopodial branches, number of sympodial branches, number of nodes of the first fruiting branch, number of bolls per plant, boll weight, boll seed cotton weight, first picking percentage, 100 seeds weight, fiber fineness, fiber length, fiber strength, fiber elongation, fiber uniformity ratio, short fiber index, fiber yellowness (+ b), fiber reflectance (Rd) and spinning consistency index (SCI) values were examined. The results of statistical analysis indicated that there were significant differences between treatments in terms of seed cotton yield, fiber yield, boll weight, boll seed cotton weight, first picking percentage, and the number of nodes of the first fruiting branch, while there was a non-significant association in terms of other examined observations and fiber technological characteristics. The highest seed cotton yield was obtained from 1500 cc application doses as 5073.80 kg ha-1 which was 19,78% (838.00 kg ha-1) higher than that of the control (4235.80 kg ha-1). In conclusion in light of the information obtained from this study, a remarkable increase in yield was obtained as a result of coating the cotton seeds with the product containing organic acid mixtures (citric acid, glutamate, and proline) at different doses. For this reason, it was concluded that it may be recommended to cover the seeds with the aforementioned mixtures before sowing.