Adjusting cotton planting density under the climatic conditions of Henan Province, China

The growth and development of cotton are closely related to climatic variables such as temperature and solar radiation. Adjusting planting density is one of the most effective measures for maximizing cotton yield under certain climatic conditions. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine the optimum planting density and the corresponding leaf area index (LAI) and yield under the climatic conditions of Henan Province, China, and (2) to learn how climatic conditions influence cotton growth, yield, and yield components. A three-year (2013–2015) field experiment was conducted in Anyang, Henan Province, using cultivar SCRC28 across six planting density treatments: 15,000, 33,000, 51,000, 69,000, 87,000, and 105,000 plants ha(−1). The data showed that the yield attributes, including seed cotton yield, lint yield, dry matter accumulation, and the LAI, increased as planting density increased. Consequently, the treatment of the maximum density with 105,000 plants ha(-1) was the highest-yielding over three years, with the LAIs averaged across the three years being 0.37 at the bud stage, 2.36 at the flower and boll-forming stage, and 1.37 at the boll-opening stage. Furthermore, the correlation between the cotton yield attributes and meteorological conditions indicated that light interception (LI) and the diurnal temperature range were the climatic factors that most strongly influenced cotton seed yield. Moreover, the influence of the number of growing degree days (GDD) on cotton was different at different growth stages. These observations will be useful for determining best management practices for cotton production under the climatic conditions of Henan Province, China.