Drought conditions and water demands from nonagricultural sources can limit the water available to grow a cotton crop duringa given year. In water-limited situations, crop yield is affected by the severity and timing of drought events. The effectsof water stress on cotton (DP 555 BG/RR) were studied at various stages of plant growth using soil moisture, plantevapotranspiration, and remote sensing measurements of plant health. In another experiment, the effects of irrigation rateduring the growing season were measured with irrigation rates of 160%, 100%, and 50% of normal, as well as an unirrigatedtreatment. Results from these experiments suggest that plants can recover from short periods of water stress; however, fruitdevelopment and retention can be affected by these events.
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