Cotton sparse cultivation is a modern agricultural technique that brings significant benefits in terms of labor efficiency, resource utilization, and yield optimization. One of its key features is the reduction in manual labor. Each mu (a traditional Chinese unit of area) now requires less nutrient input compared to previous years, and the transplanting speed has doubled, which helps ease labor shortages. Pruning efforts have also been minimized, with the removal of leafy branches no longer necessary. Only the top of the plant is pinched at the right time, allowing the main stem to grow properly.
This method is highly efficient because it allows for intercropping without affecting cotton yields. With a 100-centimeter row spacing and ample sunlight between rows, the system makes full use of available light energy. In practice, farmers often intercrop one row of peanuts every 40 cm alongside cotton, resulting in approximately 80 kg of peanuts per mu. This not only increases overall farm income but also improves land utilization.
To achieve high yields in sparse planting, timely sowing and strong seedling development are essential. Sowing is typically scheduled in early April—about a week earlier than usual—to ensure an earlier flowering period. A 7 cm tall and 10 cm long scorpion-shaped nutrition bowl is used to strengthen seedbed management, preventing issues like overcrowding. When transplanted, seedlings should be about 21 cm tall with four to five true leaves to ensure robust growth.
Applying sufficient base fertilizer is another critical step. The goal is to promote early growth, especially of the main branches, which form the foundation for high yields. Farmers usually apply 2,500 kg of high-quality farmyard manure and 50 kg of NPK compound fertilizer per acre. During transplanting, diluted manure water is poured into the holes to improve transplanting quality and reduce the shock on young plants. Urea is then applied at 20 kg per mu to encourage early flowering.
Expanding row spacing while reducing plant-to-plant distance ensures even growth. With a row width of 100 cm and a plant spacing of 35 cm, the planting density reaches 1,800 plants per mu. This setup allows each plant to benefit from better light exposure and air circulation, delaying canopy closure by two weeks. Even when the canopy closes, the shading effect is less severe than in conventional fields, leading to a higher boll set rate. According to field surveys, the boll set rate increased by 7.4 percentage points to 39.4%.
Careful management of the main branches is crucial for maximizing yield. Each plant should ideally have 2–3 strong main branches. Field data shows an average of 2.8 main branches per plant, with 7.8 bolls per branch, accounting for nearly one-third of the total bolls per plant. This contributes significantly to the overall yield, despite the reduced plant density.
Chemical control is used strategically to regulate plant growth and improve the microclimate. In high-density fields, this technique helps manage plant competition. However, in sparse planting systems, where there is enough space for light and air, chemical control is generally unnecessary. In dry years, such as 2000, no chemical treatments were used, and no shading issues occurred. In wetter years, like 2001, farmers still avoided chemical sprays, as the plants grew well without intervention.
Finally, attention must be given to the proper management of the main shoot and side shoots. The first three fruit branches on the main stem tend to produce more bolls, while later branches are less productive. Removing excess side shoots at the right time helps concentrate nutrients on the main branches. Additionally, the planting density should not be too low. In 2000, a density of 1,475 plants per mu resulted in lower yields. By maintaining a strict planting distance and ensuring a density of around 2,000 plants per mu, the number of bolls per mu can be kept between 55,000 and 60,000, which supports higher productivity.
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