Effect of Fruiting Branch/Square Removal on Growth and Quality of Bt Cotton under Different Potassium Rates.

Removal of early fruiting branches with greater potassium doses caused more source and no sink at early stages of growth, leading to improved yield, yield components, and fiber quality traits in Bt cotton. The study used manual alteration of plant architecture (F1, no branch removal; F2, removal of first fruiting branch; F3, removal of first and second fruiting branches; F4, removal of all squares from first fruiting branch; F5, removal of all squares from first and second fruiting branches) and potassium rates (50, 100, and 150 kg ha−1) in a randomized complete block design and was repeated for 2 years (2011 and 2012). Increasing potassium application increased total bolls per plant and cotton yield to the greatest levels in F3and F5, against lowest level in the control. Ginning out turn, fiber length, seed oil, and seed protein content were influenced by fruiting branch or square removal but the difference was less. Increasing potassium improved seed and fiber quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]