Estimating Fruit Retention
Managing for a vigorous cotton plant with a good balance of vegetative and reproductive growth is important for obtaining high yields, good quality, and
earliness in desert-grown cotton. We have found that taking a plant height (inches) to node ratio (HNR) is an easy method of evaluating the vigor and balance for a cotton plant. By determining the HNR for a set of representative plants from any given field, the general vigor or balance of the crop can be found at any stage of growth by referring to the baselines which have been developed for Arizona cotton. This information can then be useful in managing crop inputs such as nitrogen fertilizer, plant growth regulators (such as PIXtm), and water.
Reviewed 06/2015. Originally published 02/2001
- cotton
- crop
- yields