https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6314-1597
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ABSTRACT
Crop production in arid regions is characterized with high temperature, drought and salinity which decrease water and nutrient use efficiency. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of wheat residue mulch in relation to N fertilizer application rates for cotton productivity under dryland condition of Uzbekistan. Main plots were control of no mulch addition and a 5 t ha−1 mulch treatment. These plots were split into 5 N rate plots of 0, 70, 140, 210 or 280 kg of N ha−1. The results showed that mulching pattern decreased soil temperature by 0.7–1.5°C as compared to conventional treatment (CT), regardless of N fertilization rates. The soil water storage increased by 41.8, 17.3, 48.0 mm in the flowering, boll formation and ripening stages of cotton, respectively under mulching treatment. Soil available N concentration and nutrients uptake by plants consistently increased with the increase of N fertilization rates with positive correlations. At flowering period, the plant height, chlorophyll content, stem diameter, and a number of fruit branches in plants were higher by 32.3%, 46.8%, 26.7% and 55.3%, respectively at 210 kg N ha−1 under mulching treatment as compared to the non-fertilized control. The highest cotton yield was obtained at 210 kg N ha−1 application under mulching treatment. The correlation difference between mulch and N application rates was higher (R2 = 0.97) than the difference in CTs and N application rates (R2 = 0.89). This study showed that mulching had a greater impact to preserve nutrients and water resources in the soil, thereby improved cotton growth and yield.