Suplas is an agricultural irrigation brand developed with the long-established engineering, production, and R&D experience of Akplas, operating in the sector since 1989.
SOIL REQUIREMENTS
Although the cotton plant has the flexibility to grow in many soil types, achieving superior fiber yield and high-quality product requires soils that are deep, alluvial in character and supportive of root development. Soils that contain a correct balance of sand and clay, have high water-holding capacity, good permeability, allow ease of agricultural operations and are suitable for irrigation constitute the most productive areas for cotton cultivation.
The main climatic components that determine the yield level in cotton cultivation are the temperature level, duration of daylight, amount of rainfall and relative humidity of the air. For the plant to maintain its development at an ideal pace, the annual average temperature is expected to be around 19ºC, and summer temperatures around 25ºC. A temperature balance close to 20ºC before the formation of squares, around 25ºC during the flowering period, and a range of 30–32ºC during the phase when bolls ripen rapidly are optimum conditions for cotton. During harvest, a decrease in temperature down to 15ºC, which allows bolls to open better, is a factor that positively affects the fiber performance of the plant.
The preparation stages of the field before cotton sowing start with clearing the land of foreign plant residues and then loosening the deep root zone. In some soils where cotton has been grown for long periods in the same area, a tight and dense layer known as “plow pan” may form over time. Since this layer limits the progression of plant roots, it must be broken. For this process, subsoiler equipment that can go down to 90 cm without disturbing the topsoil is used. Afterwards, autumn and winter ploughing is carried out to prepare the seedbed. If cotton is to be sown again after cotton harvest, a soil tillage at a depth of 20–25 cm should be carried out in autumn after stalk shredding. Depending on the weed density of the field and when soil moisture is adequate, repeating winter ploughing in some years is also beneficial. If cotton is to be sown after wheat or other cereal crops, tillage should be done immediately after cereal harvest while the soil is still moist. The final soil tillage before sowing is applied in spring, and a depth of 15 cm is generally sufficient as a standard cotton seedbed.
In cotton cultivation, one of the primary inputs that directly affects fiber yield and product quality is the use of planting seed with high genetic purity.
The main criteria that stand out in the selection of standard cotton seed are as follows;
The sowing period when cotton is placed into the soil is planned according to the course of the year’s climate, and for the seeds to fully show their germination power, the soil temperature must be above 15ºC. Although sowing dates vary from year to year in practice, the generally accepted optimum sowing period is between 25 March and 30 April.
Sowing is carried out in rows with seed drills. While a 70 cm distance between rows is maintained, the in-row seed spacing should be in the 35–40 cm range. Depending on the structure of the soil, sowing depth is mostly preferred between 3–4 cm. Under normal conditions, cotton seedlings emerge to the surface within 5–10 days.
The total water requirement of the cotton plant varies in the range of 400–600 mm depending on the physical texture of the soil where it is grown and the climatic characteristics of the region where it is sown. Since the annual rainfall in production areas is often insufficient to meet the water needed by the plant, irrigation support becomes a compulsory agricultural practice. The irrigation schedule and the amount of water to be given should be planned by considering the plant’s drought responses and the moisture levels in the field. In Cukurova, on medium-textured soils, 4–5 irrigations at 15–20 day intervals constitute one of the most suitable programs for traditional cotton cultivation. The most effective method used in the region is the surface sprinkler (sprinkler irrigation) technique.
The most commonly observed cotton diseases in production areas are;
The cotton pest species that reach the highest populations in the field are;
Microclimates where relative humidity and temperature are high provide a suitable ecosystem for the rapid spread of diseases and pests. For this reason, in Cukurova cotton fields, plant protection sprays that may reach up to 4–5 rounds often become a necessary requirement.
The fertilization plan in cotton production varies according to climate, irrigation pattern, the variety of cotton grown and the nutrient profile of the soil. Therefore, a soil analysis must be carried out before making fertilization decisions. Common fertilization inputs and rates used in practice are;
When the bolls reach their biological maturity, the cotton harvesting process begins. This period may vary from year to year depending on climate, sowing plan and irrigation management. In Cukurova, the cotton harvest process generally starts in the last days of August and continues until the first weeks of November.
Although 2–3 rounds of hand picking have traditionally been used in cotton production, rising labor costs and the search for economic efficiency have made this method unsustainable. Therefore, the shift towards mechanical harvesting systems in cotton harvest has become an inevitable part of agricultural transformation. In recent years, many practical field studies have been carried out regarding machine harvesting.
REFERENCES
Prof. Dr. Oktay GENCER
