Plant density; plant growth retardants: Its direct and residual effects on cotton yield and fiber properties

Figures & data

Table 1. Average values of plant height and yield components as affected by plant densities and plant growth retardants

Character	Plant height (cm)		Number of open bolls m^−2		Number of open bolls plant^−1		Boll weight (g)
Season	I	II	I	II	I	II	I	II
Treatments:
Plant density (plant ha^−1)
166	108.4	105.6	121.7	131.2	10.52	10.99	2.232	2.396
222	111.8	107.2	125.2	125.9	8.21	8.43	2.205	2.356
333	114	109.6	119.3	123.8	7.4	7.27	2.162	2.291
LSD (p = 0.05)	0.75	0.87	5.01	4.96	0.36	0.37	0.037	0.039
Cycocel & Alar concentration (ppm)
Control, 0	117.5	112	113.1	116.4	7.96	8.18	2.164	2.297
Cycocel, 250	113.4	108.5	121.4	128.3	8.57	9	2.191	2.299
Cycocel, 500	110.1	106.9	121	130	8.55	9.24	2.198	2.308
Cycocel, 750	106.2	103.6	128.7	132.3	8.97	9.28	2.208	2.355
Alar, 250	114.1	109.3	129.1	127	9.02	8.96	2.19	2.42
Alar, 500	111.3	107.2	120.9	127.4	8.52	8.86	2.218	2.378
Alar, 750	107.1	104.8	120.3	127.3	8.51	8.78	2.226	2.376
LSD (p = 0.05)	1.15	1.33	7.66	7.57	0.55	0.57	NS	0.06

Table 2. Average values of yield components as affected by plant densities and plant growth retardants

Character	Lint (%)		Seed index (g)		Lint index (g)
Season	I	II	I	II	I	II
Treatments:
Plant density (plant ha^−1)
166.000	35.14	33.61	10.34	11.48	5.61	5.81
222.000	35.37	33.64	10.22	11.37	5.59	5.76
333.000	35.57	33.75	10.10	11.23	5.58	5.72
LSD (p = 0.05)	NS	NS	0.07	0.11	NS	NS
Cycocel & Alar concentration (ppm)
Control, 0	35.13	33.66	10.09	10.95	5.46	5.56
Cycocel, 250	35.47	34.00	10.26	11.02	5.64	5.67
Cycocel, 500	35.12	33.60	10.23	11.02	5.54	5.58
Cycocel, 750	35.08	33.77	10.27	11.22	5.55	5.73
Alar, 250	35.37	33.40	10.20	11.64	5.59	5.84
Alar, 500	35.64	33.48	10.23	11.82	5.66	5.95
Alar, 750	35.73	33.78	10.26	11.82	5.70	6.03
LSD (p = 0.05)	NS	NS	0.10	0.17	0.12	0.17

Table 3. Average values of yield and yield earliness as affected by plant densities and plant growth retardants

Character	Seed cotton yield (g plant^−1)		Seed cotton yield (kg ha^−1)		Lint yield (kg ha^−1)		Yield earliness (%)
Season	I	II	I	II	I	II	I	II
Treatments:
Plant density (plant ha^−1)
166.000	23.48	26.29	2,717.6	3136.8	955.1	1053.8	83.13	78.89
222.000	18.10	19.86	2,759.8	2963.8	976.7	997.8	81.98	74.01
333.000	15.20	16.66	2,577.7	2836.9	917.7	965.4	75.18	68.94
LSD (p = 0.05)	0.88	0.92	116.3	123.0	42.5	43.8	6.02	4.73
Cycocel & Alar concentration (ppm)
Control, 0	17.25	18.80	2,447.5	2,672.5	860.3	901.2	81.30	73.85
Cycocel, 250	18.78	20.72	2,660.4	2,948.1	943.7	1,002.8	79.02	72.99
Cycocel, 500	18.83	21.32	2,661.2	2,999.5	934.7	1,023.1	79.44	72.58
Cycocel, 750	19.86	21.94	2,843.6	3,117.9	997.7	1,053.4	81.12	72.53
Alar, 250	19.78	21.76	2,820.7	3,075.6	998.6	1,027.3	80.02	75.08
Alar, 500	18.96	21.13	2,684.2	3,023.9	956.7	1,012.4	79.14	74.86
Alar, 750	19.04	20.89	2,677.8	3,016.5	956.9	1,019.3	80.62	75.68
LSD (p = 0.05)	1.35	1.41	177.7	187.9	64.9	66.9	NS	NS

Table 4. Average values of fiber properties as affected by plant densities and plant growth retardants

Character	2.5% span length (mm)		50% span length (mm)		Uniformity ratio (%)		Micronaire reading		Flat bundle strength (g tex^−1)
Season	I	II	I	II	I	II	I	II	I	II
Treatments:
Plant density (plant ha^−1)
166.000	30.99	30.89	14.78	14.35	47.70	46.48	4.38	4.46	10.55	10.72
222.000	31.09	31.01	15.01	14.63	48.27	47.19	4.34	4.45	10.64	10.75
333.000	31.14	31.04	14.86	14.48	47.72	46.60	4.35	4.38	10.47	10.68
LSD (p = 0.05)	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS
Cycocel & Alar concentration (ppm)
Control, 0	30.96	30.89	14.78	14.38	47.70	46.53	4.32	4.38	10.37	10.62
Cycocel, 250	31.22	30.89	14.86	14.33	47.58	46.40	4.42	4.42	10.42	10.80
Cycocel, 500	31.06	30.99	14.96	14.53	48.16	46.85	4.33	4.38	10.57	10.72
Cycocel, 750	31.16	30.91	14.91	14.43	47.81	46.64	4.38	4.39	10.52	10.84
Alar, 250	31.19	31.01	14.99	14.58	48.05	47.03	4.31	4.46	10.66	10.69
Alar, 500	30.96	31.16	14.91	14.55	48.11	46.74	4.40	4.46	10.65	10.68
Alar, 750	30.96	31.06	14.81	14.66	47.84	47.14	4.36	4.54	10.68	10.63
LSD (p = 0.05)	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS

Table 5. Effect of interaction between plant densities and plant growth retardants on number of open bolls m⁻² and plant⁻¹

Character	Number of open bolls m^−2			Number of open bolls plant^−1
Cycocel and Alar concentration (ppm)	Plant density (plants ha^−1)
	166.000	222.000	333.000	166.000	222.000	333.000
Season I
Control, 0	115.75	109.33	114.08	9.98	7.16	6.74
Cycocel, 250	127.05	113.63	123.58	10.99	7.44	7.26
Cycocel, 500	126.78	114.93	121.33	10.96	7.75	7.16
Cycocel, 750	117.10	144.98	123.93	10.12	9.50	7.30
Alar, 250	118.38	147.10	121.68	10.22	9.66	7.18
Alar, 500	121.80	126.33	114.70	10.52	8.28	6.76
Alar, 750	125.20	120.13	115.58	10.83	7.88	6.83
LSD (p = 0.05)		13.26			0.97
Season II
Control, 0	120.08	119.55	109.60	10.08	8.01	6.44
Cycocel, 250	134.70	125.28	124.80	11.28	8.40	7.32
Cycocel, 500	147.63	132.75	109.73	12.36	8.91	6.44
Cycocel, 750	141.40	122.95	132.58	11.85	8.22	7.78
Alar, 250	138.45	122.50	119.98	11.61	8.22	7.04
Alar, 500	120.78	131.20	130.10	10.14	8.79	7.64
Alar, 750	115.15	126.80	140.05	9.63	8.49	8.24
LSD (p = 0.05)		13.11			0.99

Table 6. Effect of interaction between plant densities and plant growth retardants on cotton yield

Character	Seed cotton yield (g plant^−1)			Seed cotton yield (kg ha^−1)			Lint yield (kg ha^−1)
Cycocel & Alar concentration (ppm)	Plant density (plants ha^−1)
	166.000	222.000	333.000	166.000	222.000	333.000	166.000	222.000	333.000
Season I
Control, 0	21.78	15.52	14.45	2525.9	2370.6	2446.0	881.6	840.2	859.1
Cycocel, 250	24.11	16.33	15.89	2785.7	2492.9	2702.4	976.4	887.2	967.4
Cycocel, 500	24.23	16.68	15.57	2803.0	2541.3	2639.2	977.0	891.1	936.1
Cycocel, 750	22.54	21.34	15.70	2608.8	3258.8	2663.2	903.5	1144.4	945.2
Alar, 250	22.90	21.17	15.27	2652.3	3222.7	2587.0	941.2	1144.8	909.7
Alar, 500	23.70	18.44	14.72	2745.2	2810.6	2496.9	967.2	1007.9	895.2
Alar, 750	25.11	17.19	14.82	2902.6	2621.6	2509.3	1038.5	921.1	911.1
LSD (p = 0.05)		2.35			307.8			112.4
Season II
Control, 0	23.40	18.40	14.60	2788.4	2745.2	2484.1	948.4	925.5	829.8
Cycocel, 250	26.22	19.37	16.58	3130.5	2889.3	2824.4	1056.9	982.9	968.7
Cycocel, 500	28.63	20.58	14.76	3418.9	3066.5	2513.2	1135.2	1037.6	896.7
Cycocel, 750	28.44	19.52	17.85	3393.1	2917.3	3043.3	1135.1	988.4	1036.6
Alar, 250	28.76	19.83	16.68	3429.9	2956.0	2841.0	1145.8	987.6	948.6
Alar, 500	25.07	20.97	17.35	2987.4	3130.7	2953.7	1005.9	1038.3	992.6
Alar, 750	23.50	20.36	18.80	2809.7	3041.4	3198.6	949.0	1024.1	1084.8
LSD (p = 0.05)		2.44			325.4			115.9

Table 7. Mean squares from analysis of variance of plant height and yield components

Source	d.f.	Plant height (cm)		Number of open bolls m^−2		Number of open bolls plant^−1		Boll weight (g)
		I	II	I	II	I	II	I	II
Replicates	3	0.87	2.70	515.8^**	1210.9^**	2.93^**	7.06^**	0.0048	0.0134
PD	2	223.59^**	110.67^**	249.1	401.8^*	87.79^**	101.44^**	0.0345^**	0.0777^**
GR	6	192.79^**	93.23^**	359.1^**	302.7^**	1.49^**	1.62^**	0.0051	0.0272^**
PD × GR	12	1.73	1.31	365.5^**	469.2^**	1.74^**	4.48^**	0.0038	0.0061
Error	60	1.99	2.66	88.0	85.9	0.47	0.49	0.0050	0.0056

^* Significant at 0.05 probability level.

^** Significant at 0.01 probability level.

Table 8. Mean squares from analysis of variance of yield components

Source	d.f.	Lint percentage (%)		Seed index (g)		Lint index (g)
		I	II	I	II	I	II
Replicates	3	6.457^**	0.798	0.2114^**	1.7103^**	0.1347^**	0.1931^*
PD	2	1.309	0.152	0.3904**	0.4275**	0.0050	0.0507
GR	6	0.844	0.489	0.0482^*	1.8459^**	0.0840^**	0.3911^**
PD × GR	12	0.419	0.275	0.0080	0.0470	0.0294	0.0274
Error	60	0.474	0.515	0.0174	0.0457	0.0249	0.0469

^* Significant at 0.05 probability level.

^** Significant at 0.01 probability level.

Table 9. Mean squares from analysis of variance of on yield and yield earliness in cotton

Source	d.f.	Seed cotton yield (g plant^−1)		Seed cotton yield (kg ha^−1)		Lint yield (kg ha^−1)		Yield earliness (%)
		I	II	I	II	I	II	I	II
Replicates	3	10.76^*	29.11^**	166076^*	497098^**	41404^**	70743^**	548.2^**	1875.0^**
PD	2	494.27^**	673.27^**	254390^**	634835^**	24955^*	55925^**	517.2^*	692.1^**
GR	6	8.92^**	12.97^**	202407^**	254719^**	26076^**	28391^**	10.6	19.9
PD × GRP	12	9.64^**	11.10^**	2022300^**	205445^**	26396^**	18851^**	43.7	26.3
Error	60	2.77	2.99	47385	52962	6318	6717	126.9	78.6

^* Significant at 0.05 probability level.

^** Significant at 0.01 probability level.

Table 10. Mean squares from analysis of variance of fiber properties of cotton

Source	d.f.	2.5% span length (mm)		50% span length (mm)		Uniformity ratio (%)		Micronaire reading		Flat bundle strength (g tex^−1)
		I	II	I	II	I	II	I	II	I	II
Replicates	3	0.0024^**	0.0020^**	0.0034^**	0.0015^**	8.15^**	4.54^*	0.025	0.018	1.322^**	0.147
PD	2	0.0002	0.0003	0.0006	0.0009	2.92	4.02	0.016	0.061	0.189	0.033
GR	6	0.0002	0.0002	0.0001	0.0003	0.57	0.84	0.024	0.042	0.180	0.079
PD × GR	12	0.0003	0.0004	0.0002	0.0004	0.87	2.59	0.001	0.019	0.218	0.084
Error	60	0.0002	0.0002	0.0004	0.0003	1.56	1.32	0.012	0.030	0.182	0.154

^* Significant at 0.05 probability level.

^** Significant at 0.01 probability level.