Abstract
This study explores the revival of cotton (Gossypium spp. L.) farming in Italy through sustainable practices, addressing economic and water-related challenges by integrating cultivar selection, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation, and deficit irrigation under organic farming. Field trials evaluated two widely grown Mediterranean cultivars (Armonia and ST-318) under three irrigation levels (I-100: 100% crop water requirement; I-70: 70%; I-30: 30%) across two Sicilian soil types (sandy loam vs. clay-rich). Under I-100, lint yields reached 0.99 t ha−1, while severe deficit (I-30) yielded only 0.40 t ha−1. However, moderate deficit (I-70) maintained 75–79% of full yields, proving a viable strategy. AMF inoculation significantly enhanced plant height (68.52 cm vs. 65.85 cm), boll number (+22.1%), and seed yield (+12.5%) (p < 0.001). Cultivar responses differed: Armonia performed better under water stress, while ST-318 thrived with full irrigation. Site 1, with higher organic matter, required 31–38% less water and achieved superior irrigation water productivity (1.43 kg m−3). Water stress also shortened phenological stages, allowing earlier harvests—important for avoiding autumn rains. These results highlight the potential of combining adaptive irrigation, resilient cultivars, and AMF to restore sustainable cotton production in the Mediterranean, emphasizing the importance of soil-specific management.
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
Full irrigation produced 0.99 t ha−1 lint yield.
- Taxon
- cotton
Gossypium hirsutumt0 - Treatment
- I-100e0
- Outcome
- lint yieldse0
- Value
- 0.99 t ha−1e0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Under I-100, lint yields reached 0.99 t ha−1”
t0“Cotton”
Claim · model-written summary
Severe deficit irrigation produced 0.40 t ha−1 lint yield.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Treatment
- I-30e0
- Outcome
- yieldede0
- Value
- 0.40 t ha−1e0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“severe deficit (I-30) yielded only 0.40 t ha−1”
t0“Cotton”
Claim · model-written summary
Moderate deficit irrigation maintained 75–79% of full lint yields.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Treatment
- I-70e0
- Outcome
- yieldse0
- Direction
- maintainede0
- Value
- 75–79%e0
- Comparator
- full yieldse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“moderate deficit (I-70) maintained 75–79% of full yields”
t0“Cotton”
Claim · model-written summary
AMF inoculation increased cotton plant height to 68.52 cm versus 65.85 cm.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Treatment
- AMF inoculatione0
- Interactor
- AMFe0symbiont
- Outcome
- plant heighte0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Value
- 68.52 cme0
- Comparator
- 65.85 cme0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“AMF inoculation significantly enhanced plant height (68.52 cm vs. 65.85 cm)”
t0“Cotton”
Claim · model-written summary
AMF inoculation increased boll number by 22.1%.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Treatment
- AMF inoculatione0
- Interactor
- AMFe0symbiont
- Outcome
- boll numbere0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Value
- +22.1%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“AMF inoculation significantly enhanced plant height (68.52 cm vs. 65.85 cm), boll number (+22.1%), and seed yield (+12.5%) (p < 0.001)”
t0“Cotton”
Claim · model-written summary
AMF inoculation increased seed yield by 12.5%.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Treatment
- AMF inoculatione0
- Interactor
- AMFe0symbiont
- Outcome
- seed yielde0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Value
- +12.5%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“AMF inoculation significantly enhanced plant height (68.52 cm vs. 65.85 cm), boll number (+22.1%), and seed yield (+12.5%) (p < 0.001)”
t0“Cotton”
Claim · model-written summary
Armonia performed better under water stress.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Material
- Armoniae0
- Treatment
- water stresse0
- Outcome
- performed bettere0
- Direction
- bettere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Armonia performed better under water stress”
t0“Cotton”
Claim · model-written summary
ST-318 thrived with full irrigation.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Material
- ST-318e0
- Treatment
- full irrigatione0
- Outcome
- thrivede0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“ST-318 thrived with full irrigation”
t0“Cotton”
Claim · model-written summary
Site 1 required 31–38% less water.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Outcome
- watere0
- Direction
- lesse0
- Value
- 31–38%e0
- Qualifier
- higher organic mattere0
- Setting
- Site 1e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Site 1, with higher organic matter, required 31–38% less water”
t0“Cotton”
Claim · model-written summary
Site 1 achieved irrigation water productivity of 1.43 kg m−3.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Outcome
- irrigation water productivitye0
- Direction
- superiore0
- Value
- 1.43 kg m−3e0
- Setting
- Site 1e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Site 1, with higher organic matter, required 31–38% less water and achieved superior irrigation water productivity (1.43 kg m−3)”
t0“Cotton”
Claim · model-written summary
Water stress shortened phenological stages and allowed earlier harvests.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Treatment
- Water stresse0
- Outcome
- phenological stagese0
- Direction
- shortenede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Water stress also shortened phenological stages, allowing earlier harvests”
t0“Cotton”
Claim · model-written summary
Water stress allowed earlier harvests.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Treatment
- Water stresse0
- Outcome
- harvestse0
- Direction
- earliere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Water stress also shortened phenological stages, allowing earlier harvests”
t0“Cotton”
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