Preconditioning Cotton to Improve Water Use Efficiency and Conserve Irrigation Water

摘要

Greenhouse studies on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) were conducted to determine the feasibility of preconditioning a crop to water deficits for the purpose of reducing subsequent water use with minimal impact on yield. Results suggest that cotton plants subjected to low levels of soil water potential (-1.50 MPa) during the preflowering stage used significantly less water than plants optimally irrigated (-0.17 MPa soil water potential at irrigation (SWPI). The results indicate that the -1.50 MPa SWPI level applied before flowering promoted the earliness of crop maturity without any significant reductions in yield. Furthermore, the results suggest that savings in irrigation water can be achieved.