Response of Some Egyptian Cotton Cultivars to Foliar Spray by Some Microelements

Two field experiments were conducted on the Farm of Agricultural Research and Experiment Center, Faculty of Agriculture Moshtohor, Benha University, Toukh Directorate, Kalubia Governorate, Egypt, during the two successive seasons of 2015 and 2016 to study the effect of foliar spray by eight micronutrient treatments, i.e. without application (control), Zn, Mn, Fe, Zn + Mn, Zn + Fe, Mn + Fe and Zn + Mn + Fe on growth, yield components and yield as well as fiber quality properties for the two Egyptian cotton (Gossypium barbadense, L.) verities, i.e. Giza 86 and Giza 88. The experimental design was split plot design in four replications.
The obvious results of this investigation can be summarized as follows:
Significant differences were detected for all growth, yield components and yield as well as fiber properties of cotton among the two Egyptian cotton cultivars during 2015 and 2016 seasons. Giza 86 cultivar significantly surpassed Giza 88 cultivar and gave the greatest mean values of plant height, No. of sympodial branches/plant, No. of open bolls/plant, seed cotton yield/plant, boll weight, lint %, lint cotton yield/plant, seed index, seed cotton yield/fed, lint cotton yield/fed, fiber elongation %, micronaire value, fiber maturity ratio and fiber reflectance in the both seasons. While, Giza 88 recorded the highest mean values of upper half mean length, length uniformity index, fiber strength and fiber yellowness degree in the two seasons. Data revealed that the differences between the studied eight microelements treatments on growth, yield components and yield as well as fiber properties of cotton during 2015 and 2016 seasons were significant except, fiber reflectance and fiber yellowness degree were not significant. The application of combined of Zn + Mn + Fe treatment gave significantly the greatest mean values of plant height, No. of sympodial branches/plant, No. of open bolls/plant, seed cotton yield/plant, boll weight, lint %, lint cotton yield/plant, seed index, seed cotton yield/fed, lint cotton yield/fed, upper half mean length, length uniformity index, fiber strength, fiber elongation %, micronaire value and fiber maturity ratio in the both seasons. Planting Giza 86 which foliar spray by mixed Zn + Mn + Fe treatment significantly recorded the highest mean values of No. of open bolls/plant, seed cotton yield/plant, boll weight, lint cotton yield/plant, seed cotton yield/fed, lint cotton yield/fed and fiber maturity ratio in the first and second seasons. Meanwhile, planting Giza 88 under the same micronutrients application surpassed the other combinations in upper half mean length, length uniformity index and fiber strength during the both seasons.