Physiological characteristics of high yield under cluster planting: photosynthesis and canopy microclimate of cotton |
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| Authors: | Ting-ting Xie Pei-xi Su Li-zhe An Li-shan Shan Zi-juan Zhou Zhong-ping Chai |
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| Institution: | 1. Linze Inland River Basin Research Station/Heihe Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology and Integrated River Basin Science, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China;2. Linze Inland River Basin Research Station/Key Laboratory of Land Surface Process and Climate Change in Cold and Arid Regions, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China;3. School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China;4. College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China;5. College of Grassland and Environment Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, China |
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| Abstract: | Cotton produces more biomass and economic yield when cluster planting pattern (three plants per hole) than in a traditional planting pattern (one plant per hole), even at similar plant densities, indicating that individual plant growth is promoted by cluster planting. The causal factors for this improved growth induced by cluster planting pattern, the light interception, canopy microclimate and photosynthetic rate of cotton were investigated in an arid region of China. The results indicated that the leaf area index and light interception were higher in cluster planting, and significantly different from those in traditional planting during the middle and late growth stages. Cotton canopy humidity at different growth stages was increased but canopy temperatures were reduced by cluster planting. In the later growth stage of cluster planting, the leaf chlorophyll content was higher and the leaf net photosynthetic rate and canopy photosynthetic rate were significantly increased in comparing with traditional planting pattern. We concluded that differences in canopy light interception and photosynthetic rate were the primary factors responsible for increased biomass production and economic yield in cluster planting compared with the traditional planting of cotton. |
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| Keywords: | Cotton microclimate photosynthesis cluster planting |
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