UGA Cotton Team Newsletter May 2023

Nutrient Requirements in Cotton (Henry Sintim and Glen Harris): Adequate and balanced supply of nutrients is necessary to optimize the productivity of cotton, just as any other crop [1,2]. Without the right balance and amount of nutrients, plant growth would be impaired, significantly reducing yield and quality, or even leading to crop failure under severe nutrient stress. Plants require primary nutrients in greater amounts, followed by secondary nutrients, and then micronutrients. The relative amounts of the essential nutrients required for plant growth are, however, not indicative of their relative importance. The relationship between micronutrient deficiency and yield is just as important as that between macronutrients and yield. The concept is best illustrated by ‘The Law of the Minimum’, which indicates that growth is dictated not by the total resources available, but by the scarcest resource (limiting factor). In other words, growth occurs at the rate permitted by the most limiting factor. [READ MORE]