Effects of Planting Patterns on Growth and Yield of Drip-irrigated Cotton in Northern Xinjiang

【Background and Objective】 Northern Xinjiang is the largest and most productive cotton base in China. However, water shortage and unsustainable farming practices have hindered the development of its cotton industry. This study aims to experimentally investigate the effect of planting patterns on physiological growth and yield of the cotton in attempts to help improve sustainability of cotton production in this region. 【Method】 The experiment was conducted in a drip-irrigated field with film mulch. The planting patterns were designed based on the film width and the distance between adjacent drip tapes: 12 rows and six drip tapes with the film width being 4.45 (N445), six rows and three drip tapes with the film width being 2.05 m (W205), six rows and three drip tapes with the film width being 2.05 m (WJ205), four rows and two drip tapes with the film width being 1.45 (N145). The control is six rows and three drip irrigation tapes with the film width being 2.05 m (CK). During the experiment, we measured the growth, photosynthetic traits and yield of the cotton. 【Result】 The cotton growth and yield were highest in N445, followed by CK, W205, WJ205 and N145. Compared to CK, N445 increased the height, leaf area index, dry matter accumulation, net photosynthetic rate, and yield of the cotton by 5.52%, 5.20%, 13.61%, 10.39%, and 8.86%, respectively, equivalent to 4 613.25 Yuan/per hectare increase in income. Compared to CK, W205 and WJ205 under the same film width reduced the height, leaf area index, dry matter mass, net photosynthetic rate, and yield of the cotton by 6.23%, 8.03%, 12.73%, 3.82% and 5.11%, respectively. 【Conclusion】 Increasing film width and narrowing the row space can increase the height, leaf area index and photosynthetic rate of the cotton, thereby promoting accumulation of dry matter, stabilizing cotton yield and increasing economic return. For all planting patterns we compared, the 12 rows and six tapes with the film width being 4.45 m is optimal.