Abstract
Mepiquat chloride (MC), a plant growth regulator, is commonly used to manipulate growth and maturity of cotton. Most MC is applied during the pre-bloom period, at first bloom, or soon thereafter. However, there have been claims that late-season or cutout MC applications can increase yields and improve defoliation possibly through enhancing leaf maturity and reducing regrowth. Experiments were conducted during 2007 and 2008 in North Carolina and in two locations in Georgia during 2010 to investigate the effects of MC applied at early bloom versus cutout (nodes above white bloom = 3 to 4) on growth, defoliation, regrowth potential, and lint yield of cotton. Treatments consisted of a factorial arrangement of three MC rates (0, 0.05, and 0.1 kg ai ha-1) applied at early bloom and two MC rates {0 and 0.05 kg ha-1} applied at physiological cutout. Mepiquat chloride applied at early bloom reduced plant height in most environments and had variable effects on other growth characteristics. In some environments, MC applied at early bloom increased terminal regrowth and reduced basal regrowth in one year but had no effect on basal regrowth-to-height ratio. At most locations, cutout applications of MC had little or no practical effect on plant height, nearly all growth characteristics, crop maturity, defoliation, regrowth potential, yield, or fiber quality. Results from this experiment suggest that plant modifications resulting from MC occur when applications are made earlier in the season and that MC applied at cutout offers little or no advantage in plant management, lint yield, or fiber quality.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Early-bloom mepiquat chloride reduced plant height in most environments.
- Treatment
- Mepiquat chloride applied at early bloome0
- Outcome
- plant heighte0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Qualifier
- most environmentse0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“Mepiquat chloride applied at early bloom reduced plant height in most environments”
Claim · model-written summary
Early-bloom mepiquat chloride had variable effects on other growth characteristics.
- Outcome
- other growth characteristicse0
Not reportedTaxonTreatmentComparatorDirection
Verbatim
e0“had variable effects on other growth characteristics.”
Claim · model-written summary
Early-bloom mepiquat chloride increased terminal regrowth in some environments.
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“In some environments, MC applied at early bloom increased terminal regrowth”
Claim · model-written summary
Early-bloom mepiquat chloride reduced basal regrowth in one year.
Not reportedTaxonTreatmentComparator
Verbatim
e0“reduced basal regrowth in one year but had no effect on basal regrowth-to-height ratio.”
Claim · model-written summary
Early-bloom mepiquat chloride had no effect on basal regrowth-to-height ratio.
Not reportedTaxonTreatmentComparator
Verbatim
e0“had no effect on basal regrowth-to-height ratio.”
Claim · model-written summary
Cutout mepiquat chloride had little or no practical effect on growth, maturity, defoliation, regrowth, yield or fiber quality at most locations.
- Treatment
- cutout applications of MCe0
- Outcome
- plant height, nearly all growth characteristics, crop maturity, defoliation, regrowth potential, yield, or fiber qualitye0
- Direction
- little or no practical effecte0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“At most locations, cutout applications of MC had little or no practical effect on plant height, nearly all growth characteristics, crop maturity, defoliation, regrowth potential, yield, or fiber quality.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude cutout mepiquat chloride offers little or no management, yield or fiber quality advantage.
- Outcome
- little or no advantage in plant management, lint yield, or fiber qualitye0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“MC applied at cutout offers little or no advantage in plant management, lint yield, or fiber quality.”