Silicon Promotes Physiological Adjustments, Fiber Yield and Quality Improvement of Naturally Colored Cotton BRS Safira

ABSTRACT

Increasing population pressure generates a greater demand for food and consumer products, which forces the agricultural sector to optimize the production systems, as well as to use edible and energetic specie cultivars associated with abiotic stress-reducing substances. This investigation aimed to evaluate whether silicon (Si) promotes physiological adjustments, an increase in production, higher yield, and improved quality of naturally colored cotton fibers. Five doses of silicon (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 mg L⁻¹) were tested in a completely randomized design. The variables assessed were physiological, production, fibers yield and quality produced by BRS Safira cultivar. Data were submitted to principal component analysis, multivariate and univariate variance, and multiple linear regression. Silicon promotes physiological adjustments, increased production, and cotton fiber quality. Optimum Si dose varies depending on the variable response. Fiber quality from cotton plants treated with Si is within the expected pattern for this cultivar and the international standard D-4605 of the American Society for Testing and Materials for fiber quality measurement. Therefore, planting BRS Safira cultivar under Si foliar applications may be recommended to improve the naturally colored fiber cotton production chain in the Brazilian semiarid region.

摘要

日益增加的人口压力产生了对食品和消费品的更大需求,这迫使农业部门优化生产系统,并使用与非生物减压物质相关的食用和高能品种. 本研究旨在评估硅(Si)是否能促进天然彩色棉纤维的生理调节、产量增加、产量提高和质量改善. 在完全随机设计中测试了五种剂量的硅(0、50、100、150和200mg L-1). 评估的变量为BRS Safira品种的生理、产量、纤维产量和品质. 数据进行主成分分析、多变量和单变量方差分析以及多元线性回归分析. 硅促进生理调整,增加产量,提高棉纤维质量. 最佳硅剂量取决于可变响应. 使用Si处理的棉花植株的纤维质量符合该品种的预期模式和美国纤维质量测量材料和测试协会的国际标准D-4605. 因此,建议在Si叶面施用下种植BRS Safira品种,以改善巴西半干旱地区的天然彩色纤维棉生产链.

KEYWORDS:

• Gossypium hirsutum
• Colored cotton
• Potassium silicate
• Cotton yield
• Fiber technologies
• Plant ecophysiology

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Graduate Program in Agrarian Science at the State University of Paraíba - UEPB in broad cooperation with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation - Embrapa/Cotton, to National Council for the Improvement of Higher Education – CAPES, and pay posthumous tribute to Dr. Napoleão Esberard de Macêdo Beltrão (in memoriam).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior [001].