My cotton is very tall and green with lots of leaves but very few bolls in Khammam. What is going wrong and can I fix it?
Why are my cotton plants growing tall and leafy with few bolls (kapas)?
SSrinivas Reddy6mo ago · 292 views
4 Answers
🌾Farmer.in Krishi TeamExpert ✓6mo ago
Tall leafy cotton with poor boll set is usually rank vegetative growth from too much nitrogen, excess water, or a long humid spell, where the plant puts energy into stems and leaves instead of fruiting. Stop or reduce further nitrogen, improve drainage, and avoid over irrigation so the plant shifts to fruiting. A growth regulator like mepiquat chloride can check height and divert energy to bolls if used correctly, but the dose and timing must follow the label and local advice or you can stunt the crop. Make sure flowers and squares are not dropping due to sucking pests or boron deficiency as well. For the growth regulator decision and rate, check with your KVK since it depends on crop stage and variety.
AAnil Varma5mo ago
I had the same lush growth one year after heavy urea. Cutting nitrogen and one careful growth regulator spray brought it back to bolling. Do not overdo the urea on cotton.
BBhaskar Rao5mo ago
In our black cotton soil the problem was over irrigation more than fertiliser. The land held water and the plants just kept growing tall. After I spaced out the irrigations and let the field dry a bit between waterings, the squares and bolls started holding better.
NNaveen Chowdary5mo ago
Before blaming nitrogen, check the squares falling off, because in my field sucking pests and a bit of boron shortage were also causing shedding. A balanced approach of cutting back urea, checking for pests, and getting the soil tested worked better than just one fix. Get the boron need confirmed from your Soil Health Card.