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Irrigation Scheduling for Cotton Cultivation

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Cotton Production and Uses

Abstract

Crops need water for evaporation (E) and transpiration (T), known as evapotranspiration (ET). However, too much water is not good for various crops. Crop water need depends on growth stage, climate, and crop type. Approximately 40% cotton is produced under irrigated conditions. Water for irrigation is becoming limited in many cotton-growing regions and competition for water is increasing speedily in areas normally having plentiful water resources. So, many cotton producers and the associations representing cotton producers are interested in the scheduling of irrigation strategies that increase water use efficiency (WUE). Responses of cotton under water stress depend on stage of growth, duration, time, and extent of stress. Cotton is a drought-tolerant crop; however, it performs better under optimum water conditions. The water requirement of cotton is 27–51 acre inches depending upon growing duration and prevailing climatic conditions. However, it is essential to apply uniform and accurate amount of water at proper time for maximum cotton yield. Normally, cotton uses less water from sowing to emergence. However, pre-sowing irrigation is mandatory to ensure good cotton seed germination. After germination, crop water demand increases from 0.2 to 0.44 in. per day. Lack of water can reduce plant growth, the number of fruiting sites because of shedding of young bolls, and boll size, consequently resulting in loss of yield potential. There are various irrigation scheduling tools, the main purpose of which is to supply water according to the need of the plant. Water balance method, estimating crop water use, and sensor-based scheduling are a few important tools to maintain irrigation scheduling in cotton.

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Abbreviations

CO2 :

Carbon dioxide

CT:

Canopy temperature

ET:

Evapotranspiration

FDR:

Frequency domain reflectometry

GMS:

Granular matrix sensors

MIST:

Mississippi irrigation scheduling tool

SDI:

Subsurface drip irrigation

TDR:

Time domain reflectometry

VMC:

Volumetric moisture content

WUE:

Water use efficiency

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Vehari, Pakistan

    Sajjad Hussain, Muhammad Mubeen, Muhammad Imran, Hafiz Mohkum Hammad, Asad Amin, Rida Akram & Khizer Amanet

  2. Program Chair, Climate Change, US.-Pakistan Centre for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan

    Ashfaq Ahmad

  3. Agro-Climatology Lab, Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan

    Aftab Wajid & Tasneem Khaliq

  4. Department of Agronomy, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Punjab, Pakistan

    Nazim Hussain

  5. Department of Agricultural Engineering, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Punjab, Pakistan

    Hafiz Umar Farid

  6. Department of Agronomy, University College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB), Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan

    Muhammad Awais

  7. University College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan

    Amjed Ali

  8. Department of Agriculture (Extension Wing), Government of Punjab, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan

    Muhammad Aslam

  9. Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Asad Amin

  10. Department of Agronomy, University College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan

    Wajid Nasim

Authors
  1. Sajjad Hussain
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Muhammad Mubeen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan

    Shakeel Ahmad

  2. Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh

    Mirza Hasanuzzaman

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Hussain, S. et al. (2020). Irrigation Scheduling for Cotton Cultivation. In: Ahmad, S., Hasanuzzaman, M. (eds) Cotton Production and Uses. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-1472-2_5

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