Yield Response of Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) to Several Spacing Arrangements1

Abstract A 3‐year study with Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) was conducted at Experiment, Ga., to determine the effects of plants/hill, within‐row hill spacings, and plant populations on lint yield. Highest yields were obtained when the populations were within a range of 96,000 to 144,000 plants/ha. Below this population range yield decreased sharply; above this population range yield was reduced but the rate of decline was more gradual than the decline in the low population range. The highest average yield (919 kg lint/ha) was obtained from five plants/hill spaced 40 cm apart (120,412 plants/ha). When all hill spacings were combined, the mean yield from five plants/hill (879 kg/ha) was significantly (P = .05) higher than yield from two plants/hill (812 kg/ha). Yield differences among hill populations of three, four, or five plants were not significant. When the plants/hill treatments were combined, yields from plants spaced 20 and 40 cm apart were significantly higher (P = .01) than yield from plants spaced 60 cm apart. The plants/hill ✕ hill spacings interaction was not significant.