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Xinjiang cotton is characterized by high-density planting, which easily leads to competition between the source and sink, the shading of leaves and reproductive organs, and yield reduction. Balancing the relationship between source and sink can promote high and stable cotton yield. In this study, field experiments were conducted by combining the exogenous application of brassinosteroid with a reduction in leaf source to study their effects on the physiological and yield attributes of cotton. The results indicate that brassinosteroid application increased the yield, with a maximum yield increase of 6.3%. The number of bolls per plant increased by 1.3 nos. The photosynthetic rate and dry matter accumulation were enhanced, and the proportion of reproductive organs in the dry matter increased by >4%. Under the reduced leaf source, brassinosteroid application increased the number of new leaves by 20%, delayed the shedding of reproductive organs by 5–10 days, and reduced the average shedding rate by 8.9%. Additionally, the number of bolls increased in the middle and upper parts and at the edge of the plant. The number of bolls increased by 19.4% on the 4th–8th fruiting branches and 60.7% at the edge. Under leaf reduction treatment, brassinosteroid application could generally increase yield. After brassinosteroid application and removing half the leaves of fruiting branches and all leaves of the vegetive branches, the yield was higher than that of the control. Thus, brassinosteroid application could improve the efficiency of the leaf source and promote dry matter accumulation in sinks. Moreover, it could optimize boll distribution and increase yield by reducing reproductive organ shedding. Under the high-density planting of cotton in Xinjiang, leaf source is a slight surplus, and a moderate reduction in plant density is conducive to increasing yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate identification of gas migration channels and enrichment regions is essential for the utilization of gas resources and safe coal mine production, which are closely related to the evolution of mining-induced fractures. Therefore, we conducted a similarity simulation study of inclined coal seam group multiple mining, adopting the 1930 Coal Mine in Xinjiang, China, as the subject. First, the evolution of mining-induced fracture parameters was elucidated. Then, the gas migration and enrichment characteristics under inclined coal seam group multiple mining were investigated. Finally, a surface well gas extraction test was performed in the mining area to verify the experimental results. The results showed that under inclined coal seam group multiple mining, the frequency, angle and width of mining-induced fractures exhibited significant asymmetric characteristics. Additionally, the surface area percentage and fractal dimension of mining-induced fractures indicated a trend of an initial large increase followed by a small increase. Moreover, under inclined coal seam group multiple mining, mining-induced fractures were more developed in the right fracture area, and gas was smoothly transported, resulting in a more likely gas enrichment region. Based on the characteristics of mining-induced fracture parameters, a step-by-step method for determining gas migration channels and enrichment regions was proposed. Moreover, the surface well gas extraction test in the mining area revealed satisfactory extraction effects. This research aimed to increase the amount of gas extraction and to achieve safe mining of inclined coal seam groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to clarify the effect of irrigation water amount and planting pattern on water use and yield of cotton in Northern Xinjiang. A field experiment was conducted during 2020–2021 comprising four irrigation water amounts (360, 450, 540, and 630 mm) and two planting patterns (same row spacing, R1; and wide-narrow row planting, R2). The results showed that the evapotranspiration (ET), soil evaporation (Es), and plant transpiration (T) of cotton under both planting patterns increased with the increasing irrigation amount. During the entire growth period, the annual average daily ET and T under R2 were higher than those under R1, but the annual average daily Es under R2 were lower than those under R1. The daily Es was highest between one and four days after irrigation. The Es/ET under R1 was approximately 27.45%–31.82%, and that under R2 was approximately 24.52%–28.56% under the four irrigation treatments. The relationship between the Es/ET and leaf area index was fitted based on an exponential equation (R2>0.85). The yield increased with an increase in the irrigation amount, although there was no significant difference between the yields obtained with 540 mm and 630 mm irrigation amounts. The water use efficiency (WUE) increased first and then decreased with an increase in irrigation water amount, with the highest WUE observed under the 540 mm condition and the lowest under the 630 mm condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]