Effects of Different Water Application on Lint Yield and Fiber Quality of Cotton under Drip Irrigation

An experiment in various quotas of drip irrigation for cotton planted in pits under a rain shelter was conducted in 1997～1998. Based on the monthly average water requirement(ET)of cotton under surface irrigation,four treatments of drip irrigation were arranged which had 0.85ET, 0.70ET, 0.55ET and 0.40ET of irrigating quota ,respectively. The characteristics of growth and development,water consumptive use,lint yield and fiber quality under different quotas of drip irrigation were analyzed. It has been shown that plant height, leaf area index, fruit branch, boll number, boll weight, water consumption and lint yield increase with the amount of water application. Lint percent, fiber uniformity and micronaire tend to decrease with increase in water application, but the differences of other items related with fiber quality among treatments are not significant. It has been put forward that the suitable drip pattern with 0.70ET (3450.0 m 3·hm 2 ) of irrigation quota is that cotton in June, July, August and September is irrigated by one time with 150 m 3·hm 2 of water every five days, four days, five days and seven days, respectively without considering rainfall.