TITLE:
Cottonseed yield and its quality as affected by mineral fertilizers and plant growth retardants
AUTHORS:
Zakaria M. Sawan
KEYWORDS:
Calcium; Cottonseed; Nitrogen; Phosphorus; Plant Growth Retardants; Potassium; Zinc
JOURNAL NAME:
Agricultural Sciences,
Vol.5 No.3,
February
19,
2014
ABSTRACT: The increase in the population in Egypt makes it
imperative to explore promising approaches to increase food supply, including
protein and oil, to meet the needs of the Egyptian people. Cotton is the
principal crop of Egyptian agriculture, it is grown mainly for its fiber, but
cottonseed products are also of economic importance. Cottonseed is presently
the main source of edible oil and meal for livestock in Egypt. Economic
conditions in modern agriculture demand high crop yields in order to be
profitable and consequently meet the high demand for food that comes with population
growth. Oil crop production can be improved by development of new high yielding
varieties, and the application of appropriate agronomic practices. There is limited
information about the most suitable management practice for application of N,
P, K, Zn, Ca and PGRs in order to optimize the quantity and quality of oil and
protein of cottonseed. In maximizing the quantity and quality of a crop’s
nutritional value in terms of fatty acids and protein, field experiments were
conducted to investigate the effect of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, foliar
application of zinc and calcium, the use of plant growth retardants (Pix,
Cycocel or Alar), on cottonseed, protein, oil yields, and oil properties of
Egyptian cotton. From the findings of this study, it seems rational to recommend
that application of N, P, K, foliar application of Zn and Ca, the use of PGRs
(Pix, Cycocel or Alar), could bring about better impact on cottonseed yield, seed
protein content, oil and protein yields, oil refractive index, unsaponifiable
matter, and unsaturated fatty acids in comparison with the ordinary cultural practices adopted
by Egyptian cotton producers.